Benefit your Dead!

The Qur'an established two general principles concerning the reward and punishment for deeds:

1. Each human will fundamentally only be benefited or harmed by the deeds which he or she actually did.
   " ... humans will only have the result of their own actions." [53:39]
2. No human can carry the sin of another.
   " ... no one bearing sins can carry the sins of others." [53:38]

Consequently, when a person dies, the opportunity for that person to do good ends with the person's death. However, the chance to harvest good from deeds which were done prior to death remains. 

Dua'a (Supplication) 

The prayers of other Muslims on behalf of the dead will benefit the dead, by the permission of Allah. Had they done no good, no one would consider praying for them. If they were evil, the prayers of others will not benefit them. Allah praises the believers who pray for those who have passed away before their time:

"And those who came after them say: Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not put in our hearts any hatred against the believers. Our Lord, You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful." [59:10]

NEWS : Muslim Inmates Denied Halal Meals !!!

Indeed ya Muslimeen, be grateful and thankful to Allah, for He (swt) has provided us Halaal food for our Iftaar and Suhoor, Alhumdulillah wa ShukruLillah... Imagine these Muslim Aseer and many Muslims out there who hardly have Water, let alone a Date SubhanAllah to keep or open their Fast with! Fear Allah with your greediness and ungratefulness ya Muslimeen!
 
A civil rights group this week said Muslim inmates at a Florida prison have been denied halal meals that are in accordance with Islamic law.

Seventeen Muslim inmates in Florida say they’ve complained to jail officials that they haven’t been fed halal meals, to no avail. Now, two civil rights groups are putting the Miami-Dade County jails on notice – feed the inmates meals that are in accordance with Islamic law or face legal action, according to a report from WPLG Local 10 News.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Florida said Wednesday that they’re prepared to file formal grievances against the jail. They’ve received more than 35 complaints from inmates serving time in Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department facilities since last fall.

“Individuals do not lose their constitutional rights just because they are behind bars,” said Shalini Goel Agarwal, a staff attorney at the ACLU’s Florida office. “When a particular diet is part of an inmate’s religious practice, jails need to respect that, especially when they already do so for inmates other faiths.”

A letter from Hassan al-Basri to Umawi Caliph

From a letter to an Umawi Caliph by al-Hasan of Basra (d. 110H) from Abdul-Malik ibn Marwan to al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Basri. 

Peace be to you, and I extol you to Allah, beside whom there is nothing worthy of worship. As for what follows, there has come to the Commander of the Believers about you that concerning the description of al-qadr (Divine Decree) the likes of which have never come to him from any of the past. 

The Commander of the Believers cannot remember any of the Companions of the Prophet whom he knew saying what it had come to him that you have said. He has always known good things of you in your ways, your excellence in religion and knowledge of religious insight (fiqh) and your search and your eagerness for that. 

And then the Commander of Believers found repugnant this doctrine ascribed to you; therefore write to him about your doctrine and the position you take - whether it is a tradition from the Companions of Allah's Messenger, on whom be peace and Allah's blessing, or only an opinion of yours, or something you know how to prove from the Qur'an. For truly, we have heard no one discuss this matter before you. Present your opinion to the Commander of Believers and clarify it. 

Peace be to you, and the Mercy of Allah and His blessings. 

In reply from al-Hasan al-Basri to Allah's servant Abdul-Malik:

Our Salaf and their Salaah...

For forty years, the Adhan was never called but Sa`id bin al-Musayyab was in the mosque before it was called. [Tabaqat al Hanabilah 1/141, Hilyat al Awliya 2/163, Sifat as Safwah 2/80]

`Umar became unconscious after he was stabbed, and according to Al Miswar bin Makhramah, it was said: “Nothing would wake him up except the call to prayer, if he is still alive.” They said to him, “The prayer has finished, O Chief of the Faithful!” He woke up and said, “The prayer, by Allah! Verily, there is no share in Islam for whoever abandons the prayer.” He performed the prayer while his wound was bleeding. [Sifat as Safwah 2/131, As Siyar 5/220]

After ar-Rabi` bin Khaytham became partially paralyzed, he used to go to the mosque helped by two men. He was told: “O Abu Yazid! You have been given permission to pray at home.” He said, “You have said the truth, but I heard the caller herald, ‘Hayya `ala al-Falah (Come to success)’, and I thought that whoever hears this call should answer it even by crawling.” [Hilyat al Awliya 2/113]

Adi bin Hatim said: “Every time the prayer time falls, it falls while I am eager for it and ready to perform it (i.e.having wudu).” [Az Zuhd by Ahmad, p. 249]

Abu Bakr bin Abdullah al Muzani said: “Who is like you, O son of Adam? Whenever you wish, you use water to make Ablution, go to the place for worship and thus enter the presence of your Lord (i.e. start praying) without a translator/barrier or a barrier between you and Him!” [Al Bidayah wa an Nihayah 9/256]

Abu Rajaa al `Ataridi, “Nothing that I leave behind grieves me, except that I used to bow down on my face five times a day before my Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored.” [Hilyat al Awliya 2/306]

Yazid bin Abdullah was asked, “Should we make a roof for our mosque?” He said, “Purify your hearts and your mosque will be sufficient for you.” [Hilyat al Awliya 2/312]

Cooking While Glorifying Allah - True Story!

I will not keep it a secret that I am not the one of cooking fans, as I used to consider it as a waste of time and effort.

When I got engaged, I discovered that my mother in law is one of those who spend most of their life time at the kitchen, moreover she loves to give variety to new kinds of food from time to time using different kinds of Arabic and western cooking books.

This matter – of course – used to make me worry because...
I thought that my fiancé, after marriage, would compare between my cooking and his mother’s. So when we have finished with all marriage arrangements and the marriage date was determined, my fiancé noticed that I was delaying the wedding and every time I used to invent a different excuse so finally he came and asked me “you are delaying the marriage for a reason I do not know, what is it?” then I felt the matter is being discovered and I do not have anything to do but saying the truth, so I said “ frankly, I hate kitchen!” then he laughed in astonishment and told me “anyway I like simple kinds of food and also I do not mind if I eat the same kind of each two days ” these words calmed me down and I did not delay the marriage any more, on the contrary after I got married I started feeling responsible for the house and all its matters which include the kitchen! So I told myself “you have to do your best in the kitchen even if your husband likes simple kinds of food”.

At the first day I entered my kitchen for cooking I asked God for help and trust on Him then I pleaded Him that my food would not come to be much less that of my mother in law. Then I started to cook and during that time I remembered–with God’s help– some words of one of our sisters who was giving us lessons at the mosque during Ramadan and she said – God Rewards her—“the Arabian woman spends most of her life time at the kitchen, especially in Ramadan, which wastes much of this great month. Ramadan is like a scent flying away easily! So do not miss it in the kitchen and such kind of works, and if though why do not you mention God while at the kitchen? Has anyone of you tried to cook while she is glorifying Allah?!”

Suhur: The Pre-Dawn Meal during Ramadaan

" ... Eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn. Then resume the fast till nightfall ... " [2:187]

It was narrated that Adi ibn Hatim said when the following verses were revealed:
" ... until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread," that he took two strands of hair, one black and the other white, and kept them under his pillow and went on looking at them throughout the night but could not make anything out of it. So, the next morning he went to Allah's Messenger (saws) and told him the whole story. He explained, "that verse means the darkness of night and the whiteness of dawn." [al-Bukhari]

It was also narrated by Sahl ibn Saud that when the following verse was revealed:
" ... Eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread ... " and "of the dawn" was not revealed, some people who intended to fast, tied black and white threads to their legs and went on eating till they differentiated between the two. Allah then revealed the words, "of the dawn", and it became clear that meant night and day. [al-Bukhari]

What is the Interval Between the End of the Suhur and the Dawn Prayer?

Zayd ibn Thabit said, "We took the suhur with the Prophet (saws). Then he stood for the prayer. I asked: What is the interval between the suhur and the call to prayer? He replied:
'The interval is sufficient to recite fifty verses of the Qur'an.' " [by al-Bukhari]
 
The Suhur is a Blessing but it is not Compulsory

How to Love your Spouse in Ramadan?

Ramadan is a Month when we all rightly associate with it sacredness, worship, seclusion, reflection, devotion, purity and such. While all this describes the essence of Ramadan, some of us begin to think that the intimacy with our spouse should come to a halt or at the least be reduced in Ramadan. Loving our spouse should be the "last" thing in our mind and that it is least expected, by our spouse and by Allah Himself. To clear this misconception we must first grasp a good understanding of what love and intimacy means. Rest assured, it is not just limited to physical closeness as we begin to assume. Love is vast. And its signs are various. Its stages are many. And its kinds are plenty.

When we address "love" in this article, we are talking about "that" kind of love, love which is for the sake of Allah... Not the natural human inclination towards one's spouse. Because it is only this kind of love which is pleasing to Allah and which is beneficial for both of you in this world and next. It is this kind of love that is praiseworthy in Islam so much so that the Prophet (saws) said that one who loves the other for the sake of Allah will taste the sweetness of Faith (Imaan). There are two other kinds of love too, the natural love (which even the animals have for each other) and the excess love which makes one commit Shirk, hence blameworthy.

Therefore, it is the "Love for sake of Allah" that we should look forward to enhance in our marriage. And Ramadan is the best time to nurture that love. But the question remains... With all of the physical and spiritual exhaustion in Ramadan how does one nurture this intimate relationship? Believe me, it doesn't get easier than in Ramadan.

Know that Islam has honored wives. Wives played a critical role even in the life of our beloved Prophet (saws). That is why the Prophet (saws) is recorded to have said about the Mother of believers, Khadijah (ra), "I was nourished by her love." Khadijah (ra) was not just "any" wife. The Prophet (saws) said about her that she was the best woman of her time and also that she had perfected her Faith. That's the clue! Islam does not praise just any woman or any Muslim wife, they must be righteous (as-saalihaat). Saalihaat are the ones who deserve to be admitted to Paradise (by the Mercy of Allah) for their righteousness in Duniya. So, now, you know what is expected of you as a Wife. 

Ramadaan Warriors !!!

As Ramadaan has fast approached, it would be good to take a few moments to reflect on what we did in preparation.

The companions - like 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr who was worth a 1,000 warriors - trained in three fields:

1. Ibadah; 
2. Talab ul-'Ilm (studying the tenets of Islam); and
3. Military training.

Let us chart our return to Allah so that when the world takes down the banners, borders up the windows and forgets what happened to our Muslim family ... we won't! 
"Accomplishment begins with action." 

Have you ever heard of a weekend warrior? They are employees who sit in cubicles and relax at a coffee station weighed down with donuts all week long. Then on the weekend they rip off their suits bearing their Reebok gear underneath and spend the entire weekend playing basketball, hang gliding, and mountain climbing. What happens? They break their knees, pull a dozen muscles, and are hospitalized on Sunday.

This is in relation to the physical body. But there are people that should be known as Ramadaan warriors. They are those that haven't fasted all year long and then shock their bodies with a whole month. Or haven't prayed in the Masjid or haven't woken up to pray in the night all year long. What happens to them? As one Muslim doctor said, "In normal days, we have about 5 - 7 patients a day. On the first day of Ramadaan, the patients increase to over 50!" 

Ramadaan warriors were rare in our Islamic history. To illustrate, let's all remember where we were at the beginning of Safar. We were probably praying for work to end, or just finished up with exams, or looking through brochures for a holiday getaway.

Interestingly, if we were sitting beside a tabi'i over a thousand years ago in a simple Masjid, we would have heard him raising his hands asking Allah to grant him the blessing of being around when a guest comes, a guest called Ramadaan!

12 Things to keep in mind while Reciting the Qur'an this Ramadaan...

1. Recite it slowly. For that will help in understanding the Qur'an and contemplating it.  [Tafseer Ibn Katheer of 73:4]

2. Beautify your voice. [Abu Dawood]

3. To NOT rush.

Ibn Mas`ud that he said, "Do not scatter the (recitation of) Qur'an out like the scattering of sand, and do not rush through it like the hasty recitation of poetry. Stop at its amazing parts and make your heart move with it. None of you should let his concern be to reach the end of the chapter.'' (al Baghawi)

4. Reading of the Quran out loud.

There is no doubt that it is necessary to read the Quran loud enough so that the reader can hear it himself because reading means distinguishing clearly between sounds; thus sound is necessary, and the smallest degree of it is that which he can hear himself. If he cannot hear himself in salah, his prayer is not correct. As for reading so loud that he can be heard by others, it is to be considered praiseworthy in one respect and undesirable in another.

5. Weeping while reading.

6. Seeking Allah's refuge when coming across verses telling us about the punishment of Allah (eg. Hellfire).

IMPORTANT - Where will you be praying Taraweeh..?

“Where will you be praying Taraweeh then?” A common question that is often repeated throughout this blessed month. However, many are oblivious to the fact there is in fact some ‘Fiqh’ behind this question as will soon be very evident...

Muhammad bin Bahr said regarding the prohibition of searching and attending Masajid due to the beauty of the recitation of the Imam (as quoted in Badaa’i al Fawaa’id 4/111):
‘I saw Abu Abdullah (i.e. Imam Ahmad) in the Ramadaan and Fadl bin Ziyaad was leading him in Taraweeh. He had beautiful recitation and thus many mashaayikh and many locals gathered together until the mosque was full. Then Abu Abdullah climbed the staircase of the mosque and looked to the congregation and said: “What is this! Why are you all leaving your (local) mosques and attend other mosques?”
Thereafter, (Fadl) lead them in prayer for a few more nights and then (Abu Abdullah) stopped him from leading the prayers due to disliking what he saw, i.e. the emptying of other mosques. Thus it is upon the neighbour of a mosque pray in his local mosque.’

And from Ibn al Qayyim’s research of the principle ‘sadd adh-dharaa’i’ in his book ‘i’laam al-muwaqqi’een 2/160 he says:
‘The 54th point: The Prophet (saws) forbade the man to disregard the mosque which is closest to him and opt for another mosque as is in the narration of Baqiyyah on the authority of al Majaashi’ bin ‘Amr on the authority of ‘Ubaydullah on the authority of Naafi’ on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (saws) said: “One of you must pray in the mosque which is closest to him and should not disregard it for another mosque.”
And that is so in order to prevent the abandonment of the mosque which is closer and to prevent the Imam from feeling abandoned and lonely.
However, if the Imam was of the habit of not performing the prayer correctly, or he was accused of innovations or openly expressed evilness, then there is no harm for a person to pray in another mosque.”
 

O Muslims, take to this Ramadaan with Piety!

The gates of the Heavens have been opened, the doors of Hellfire closed and our accursed enemy, the Shayateen, are locked up. Ramadaan is upon us, the blessed month of mercy, forgiveness and compassion.

Indeed, we are in need of such a blessed month, so that we may immerse ourselves in the remembrance of Allah after having been heedless, turn our sights to the Hereafter after having retreated to the Duniya, read the Book of Allah after it has been untouched, collecting dust on our shelves. Surely our state is a distressing o­ne; our hearts have become hardened, we have lowered our barrier of Taqwa, chasing after our whims and desires somehow, we have become of those who are negligent. 

Yet the opportunity presents itself to humble o­neself, return to Allah and seek His (swt) forgiveness. It is a month wherein we may purify our hearts and free ourselves from the stronghold of transgression. And what is it that causes such a transition? For some it may be the large congregation of Muslimeen in Salaat, a renewed sense of gratefulness after food has touched your lips, spending long nights in Taraweeh prayer, raising your hands in Du’aa Qunoot and hoping fervently for the mercy of Allah. Even still it may be the emergence of the Muslimeen, the many greetings of Salam, the smiles and heartfelt words, reflecting sincerely over the Qur’aan, or performing I'tikaaf, There is a change in the air and it can readily be sensed, a breeze of wellness overtakes us, sprinkled with Ihsaan and Taqwa, as we strive to enjoin the good. Suddenly we realize that the Promise of Allah is true, and fearing His Threat and hoping for His Mercy, we increase ourselves in worship and remembrance.

Fasting Ramadhan - Virtues and Rulings

Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, to tell him of an action by which he may enter Paradise. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 
"Take to fasting, there is nothing like it." [An-Nisa'i, Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim. Sahih] 

In this hadith, the Prophet, peace be upon him, singled out fasting when asked about a deed that leads its doer to the best of rewards, Paradise. This fact alone is sufficient for us to understand the greatness of fasting. Mere knowledge of the importance and superiority of fasting. However, is not enough for a Muslim to attain Allah's pleasure and then, if Allah wills, His great reward. Indeed, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 
"Perhaps a person fasting will receive nothing from his fasting except hunger and thirst." [Ibn Majah, ad-Darimi, Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi. Sahih] 

This hadith should raise our concern about fasting and increase our desire to perform this act of worship with the best intention and in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet, upon whom be peace.

The first step for a Muslim to realise is the fact that fasting the month of Ramadhan is obligatory and that Allah has prescribed it for us in His Book: 
"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those who came before you; that you will perhaps be God-fearing." [2:183] 

Thus Allah, the Most High, teaches us that fasting is an obligation and a means to attain taqwa (to be God-fearing); that which increases believers in their ranks with Allah: 
"The most honourable among you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most pious." [49:13] 

Furthermore, we should realise the words of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in which he tells us that Allah said: 
"The most beloved deeds with which my slave comes closer to Me are the obligatory deeds." [Sahih al-Jami']

Virtues of Fasting as Mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah:

Ramadaan and Shayateen!

New article written by our honored brother Tarek Mehanna (may Allah release him soon-Ameen) from his prison cell in the US.

As I watch the Sun set, the waxing crescent of the month of Sha’ban becomes more prominent in the sky above the prison. Soon, the rest of the sky seems clear & dark. But in reality, it’s still awash with color & light that nobody can see. Because its wavelengths are too stretched out for the human eye to detect, most of the light in the Universe is invisible to us.

What’s invisible to us was visible to the Prophet (saws), who said that “I see what you can’t see, and I hear what you can’t hear.” Providing us with a glimpse of the world beyond our perception, he then said that “the sky is groaning, and rightfully so. There isn’t the space of four fingers in it except that there’s an Angel in sujud. It you knew what I know, you’d rarely laugh, you’d often weep, you’d find no pleasure in bed with women, and you’d run to the hilltops screaming out to Allah.”

Also invisible to us is that “on the first night of Ramadan, the gates of the sky (another narration mentions mercy, and yet another mentions the Jannah) are opened, the gates of Jahannam are shut, and the shayatin are chained up.” We can’t detect this visually, but corresponding changes take place on the ground which we can perceive. Each Ramadan I’ve spent in a federal prison has fallen in the summer. The days leading up to it would thus be exceptionally hot & humid. But right at the start of each Ramadan, the heat would suddenly subside, and the climate would become cool. With only one or two interruptions, this would last for the duration of the month. Right after ‘Id al-Fitr, the heat would return. This would so eerily correspond to the beginning & end of Ramadan that one guard at the prison remarked (scornfully, of course): “I guess Allah loves you.”

The Prophet indeed said that “if Allah loves a servant of His, He shields him from the dunya.” In prison, we’re certain of the existence of a world beyond these walls, but are tested with the inability to actually experience it. Even those of you outside of prison are likewise tested with believing in a world you can’t see. In this sense, as the Prophet said, “the dunya is the believer’s prison.” Each of the amenities available to us in here (clothes, food, housing) is a counterpart to something available to you out there, except that the resemblance is strictly nominal. Everything we can see in this dunya is likewise a counterpart to something hidden away in the Ghayb that we can’t see, with the resemblance being strictly nominal. This is why Ibn ‘Abbas said that “nothing in this dunya resembles what’s in Jannah, except in name,” and the Prophet said that “the fire human beings light is just one seventieth the fire of Jahannam.”

Have You Got What It Takes..?

There are things in life which are not very important, those which are quite important and then those things which are absolutely vital for our collective well-being.

Let this be a reminder to me and anyone else who wishes to read on – there is simply nothing more vital for us in our very short and limited lives than to take absolute maximum benefit from the blessed month of Ramadhan.

The really interesting thing about the statement of Allah, the Most High:

"So remind (them), for indeed the reminder benefits those who have faith," [51:55]

is that those who have the pure characteristics of faith do indeed benefit, even though human nature by itself would seem to oppose that. Isn't that sadly true? When someone believes they know what to do, they don't necessarily appreciate being told again how to do it. If someone believes that they've heard everything they need to hear, it takes a seriously patient and magnanimous person to sit there and hear it again.

By now we've certainly heard all the Prophetic narrations on the blessings of this very special time; a time in which our righteous ones delight as the gates of Paradise are flung open, and in which our sinful ones breathe a sigh of relief and take time to reflect as the gates of Hell are locked up.

So at this moment of clarity, where the stomachs, hearts, eyes, ears, tongue and mind are all enjoying their greatest moment of purity, let us all try and make sure that we profit from the following points gleaned from the advice of our Pious Predecessors ...

Virtues of Fasting in the Summer !

And from the acts of worship whose reward is multiplied during the heat is fasting, and this is because of the thirst that one experiences in the midday heat.

This is why Mu'adh ibn Jabal expressed regret on his deathbed that he would no longer experience this midday thirst, as did other early Muslims.

And it was related that Abu Bakr would fast in the summer and not fast in the winter, and 'Umar advised his son 'Abdullah on his deathbed: "Try to obtain the characteristics of faith," and the first one he mentioned was fasting in the intense summer heat.

And Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said that 'A'ishah would fast in the intense heat, and he was asked: "What drove her to do this?" He replied: "She would take advantage of the days before death." And some of the righteous women would choose the hottest days and fast them, saying: "If the price is low, everyone will buy," meaning that she wanted to do those actions that only a few were capable of due to how hard it was to do them, and this is indicative of the high aspirations these women had.

And Abu Musa al-Ash'ari was on a boat, and he heard someone calling out: "O passengers, stand up!" And he said this three times. So, Abu Musa told him: "How can we stand up? Don't you see where we are? How can we stand up?" So, the caller said: "Let me tell you of a rule that Allah made upon Himself: whoever makes himself thirsty for Allah's sake on a hot day has the right upon Allah to have his thirst quenched on the Day of Resurrection." So, Abu Musa would search out the days that were so hot that one would feel he was being cooked, and he would fast those days.

Ka'ab said that Allah said to Musa: "I made it incumbent upon Myself that whoever is thirsty for My sake will have his thirst quenched on the Day of Resurrection," and others said that it's written in the Torah: "Glad tidings for whoever makes himself hungry in anticipation of the Great Day where he will have his hunger satisfied, and glad tidings for whoever makes himself thirsty in anticipation of the Great Day where he will have his thirst quenched."

Advice to Muslims in Ramadhan...

1. Ramadhan is an auspicious opportunity for believers to renew their commitment to their Creator and the Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. This commitment must be both outward and inward, so that a Muslim not only recites more Qur'an and offers more units of prayer, but that she or he does so with reflection, humility and attentiveness.
2. Muslims must ensure they are not formalists who concentrate only on the outward. Achieving Allah's acceptance must be a believer's priority and is not easy - "Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous." [5:27]
3. Ramadhan is a wonderful opportunity for accounting of one's sins and making repentance. If one does not repent in Ramadhan, when will he or she do so?
4. Muslims should strive to worship Allah as best as they can from the beginning of the month, for that increases chances of the end of the month being good as well.
5. Muslims should consider what is it that they truly want to achieve in Ramadhan, whether they want to be from the winners or from the losers, and should make sure they do not perform acts of worship simply because it is the surrounding people's custom to do so.
6. Muslims must be firmly aware that Ramadhan is only a means and not an end.

Advice to Muslims in Ramadhan:

Eating Less – The Solution To Many Problems !!!

Abu Juhayfah said: “A man burped in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and he said: “Keep your burps away from us, for the one who eats his fill the most in this world will be hungry for the longest time on the Day of Resurrection.” [at-Tabaraani – Saheeh]

After hearing that Abu Juhayfah did not eat his fill until he departed from this world; if he ate breakfast he would not eat dinner and if he ate dinner he would not eat breakfast, and he said: “I have not filled my stomach for thirty years.”

Yet, we force our kids to eat, to finish their plate or just simply stuff themselves until they are full. And we do the same ourselves. What we don’t realize is that, not only is this bad for health, and against the wise teachings of our beloved Prophet (saws), but it is this excessive eating that is keeping us away from the sincere and focused worship of Allah that we are searching for… that Khushoo’… that Sakeena, the peace that should be there in all our Ibadaat. This is because eating one’s fill makes the body heavy, which leads to yawning and laziness in worship and work.

The Prophet (saws) said, “A believer eats in one intestine, and a kafir (unbeliever) or a hypocrite eats in seven intestines." [Bukhari]

That means; a believer is satisfied with a little food, while an unbeliever or a hypocrite eats too much to satisfy himself.

The Prophet (saws) also said: “The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few morsels to keep him alive. If he must fill it, then one-third for his food, one-third for his drink, and one-third for air.” [at-Tirmidhi – Saheeh by al-Albaani]