by Fateen Seifullah
As salaam alaykum, dear Muslims Ramadan Mubark
Our prophet (SAW) is reported to have said strange are the ways of the believer, they find good in everything and this is the state of mind of only the believers. It is always fascinating and strange to watch Muslims as Ramadan draws near. These brothers and sisters, many of them who have found it very difficult to fast Monday's and Thursday but who are now excited about Ramadan. They are so excited for Ramadan that they begin calling the Masjid, days and sometimes weeks, early to find out about its date. There is no other group on the earth that I'm aware of that approaches sacrifice like this. I tip my hat to all those men, women, and children who value Ramadan in this manner.
However I must now caution some of us who are excited about fasting, who’re also just a little to excited about the iftars. You know the ones that can’t wait for the Imam to Taslim out so they can run to the food, no zikr, no sunnah, no supplication, straight to the food. And if that is not bad enough, they pile their food so high that it spills over the sides of the plate, and still worse, is that some of these same individuals make plates to go before they check to see if everyone has eaten. Labeling this as poor table manners would be an understatement. It would be more accurate to say that they are undermining the whole spirit of Ramadan and the idea of self - sacrifice. They are failing to feel the pain of those who are less fortunate. Maybe this is why we can go back to business as usual; wasting food and ignoring the needs of the homeless. Maybe this is also why we throw our food away rather than eat the leftover portions. In part, it is because we cannot relate to those less fortunate. Not only are we failing in our portions, we are also failing in our preparation. By the time that Eid comes, we are tired of eating, and the Eid festival can match the iftars that were prepared on weekends. We have to return to the way of our prophet (SAW) if we want to make ourselves better.
Our prophet (SAW) taught us how to eat, and, he (SAW) said, according to Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib, who said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah saying, ‘The Adamic personality has not filled a vessel which is worse than the belly. Sufficient for the son of Adam are some mouthfuls which will make the spine straight, but if there is no avoiding that then a third for food, a third for water and a third for air”’. How often has someone prayed beside someone that can hardly breathe because they have stuffed themselves so much? How often has that someone been you? So stuffed with food you found it difficult to make ruku, and do sajdah, you felt as though you would burst.
Al Harith said, “What kills people and destroys predators in the wild is to enter food upon food before digestion has taken place.”
Our prophet (SAW) said, “That sickness was right there”, pointing at the stomach. In another hadith he reminds us that all diseases begin in the stomach. So it should not be strange to hear that one salaf said “That if the inhabitants of the graves were asked, ‘what was the reason for their terms falling due?’ They would answer ‘indigestion.’”
Eating to ones fill, not only creates sickness, but it also hardens the heart. It makes us lazy, unfocused, there's no way that we could concentrate on our salat or the reading of Quran.
Now this reminder may sound strange coming from someone who needs to do a few more sit ups and eat a little less food but the truth may set me free. Our prophet (SAW) said that if he saw someone with a large belly; he would tell him that that [belly] would look better on someone else. Meaning that, excess weight and food could benefit someone else who needed it more if we would leave the table and the food for them
May Allah help us to control our appetite during this holy month and after its conclusion.
Fateen Seifullah is the Imam of Masjid as-Sabur, he can be reached at VegasMasjid@aol.com
Edited by Aiza Malik
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