Ramadan: Day 10 - Overeating

 

Is it really already the tenth day of Ramadan?! Now that we are one-third of the way through, it is a good time to assess how things are going for each of us. We should think about whether we are benefiting from our fasts, making the most of our time and if we feel any different than we did on the morning of August 1st.

I hope we all have gained something so far and that we continue to build and grow in the next twenty days.

Today I want to talk about something most all of us, especially me, probably struggle with. It is overeating. A few months ago, I realized that I was constantly eating way beyond my limits. I would end every meal feeling overly full. I returned to some of my favorite books like "In Defense of Food" and "Mindful Eating." These books offer lots of scientific and anecdotal evidence for not eating too much. I read them and re-read them. I carried around "Food Rules" hoping it would help me stop eating so much. But to no avail.

In the Quran, Allah tells us: “Eat and drink but waste not by excess “ (7:31)

You might think that with Ramadan coming, the problem of overeating would automatically go away. But as most Muslims know, rather than being a month of moderation, Ramadan often becomes the most glutenous time of all. Muslims feast on large breakfasts before they start their fast, and in the evening there are often many dishes which are special to Ramadan and people tend to prepare them in large quantities. For Pakistanis, fried foods like samosas and pakoras are abundant during this month and eating a portion of them each night quickly cancels out any physical benefits of the fast.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath.” (Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa’i).

This hadith is similar to many of the guidelines in my books and many proverbs give the same 1/3 instruction. But very few people follow this prescription.  People grow beards or pray extra salah because it is the Sunnah but they won't put down the Krispy Kremes or soda.

Our bodies, like everything else are an amanah to Allah. Part of our duty as Muslims is to take care of our body and to not cause injury to it. When we overeat or put bad foods into our body, we are breaking our trust with Allah. This Ramadan try to eat simple breakfasts and stop eating at Iftaar when you start feeling full, not twenty minutes after. If you want to indulge in some of the treats that are offered during Ramadan, just take one or a small portion.

May Allah let us love all things in  moderation and may He help us to treat our bodies as they were meant to be treated. Ameen.