Moderation of Food
Islam has shown the necessity of moderation in food. God says:
O,childrenofAdam!Attendtoyourembellishmentsateverytimeof
prayer, andeat anddrinkandbe notextravagant.Surely, He doesnot
love the extravagant.
This holy Verse includes the principals of the general health and
foundsanequableruleofphysicalsafety.Thisisthemoderationofeat-
ing.Overeatingravagesthebodyandcausestheinflictionofmanydis-
eases.Imamas-Sadiq(s)says,“Ifpeopleeconomizeintheireating,their
bodieswillbe sound.”.Imam ar-Rida(s)saysinar-RisaletuThehebiya,
“OAmirul-Muminin*! Consideronlythe foodthat suitsyou andyour
stomach,andintensifiesandrelishesyourbodytoprepareitforyourself
anduseasthediet.Theexcessivefoodisuseless.Thefoodthatisneither
excessivenorimperfectistheuseful.Youshouldnothavetheadequacy
offood.Youshouldleavethefoodwhileyouarestillcravingforit.This
isbetterfor thestomach andthebody, andmorehelpfulfor themind
and less heavy for the physique.”.
Islam has underlined the necessity of moderation in eating since it
achieves the physical soundness and takes away from diseases. The
Prophet (s)said, “Eatonlywhenyoucrave,andabstain whileyouare
stillcraving.” “Sons of Adam –human beings-have not filled a bowel
worsethantheabdomens.SonsofAdamshouldbecontentwithafew
bitsthatrectifythebody.Ifthisisimpossible,onethirdshouldbegiven
to eating, and one third to drinking, and one third to breathing.”
“Stomachisthehouseofeverymalady.Dietistheheadofeveryremedy.
Give the soul what it habituates.”
Overeatingcreatesseriousandimpending developmentsthat leadto
many dangers and difficulties. Some of these dangers are as follows:
- Overeatingcausesfatness,whichisaseriousailment,sinceitbrings
about heart troubles, hypertension, nephric defects, and diabetes. - Overeatingcausesthe digestivesystem toencountermany diseases
duetotheextensionandreductionofthestomach,suchasulcerandthe
like. - Immoderationineatingcausesproblemsoffecundity.Modernmed-
ical surveys have proven that the immoderationin having food, espe-
ciallythe fatty,affectsthe activitiesofthe glandsandthe sexualrepro-
duction. In some cases, it may lead to barrenness.. - Overeating may cause mental defects and idiocy.