Congratulations on reaching one third of the way through Ramadan! By now our bodies are starting to get used to the rhythm and our minds are hopefully getting used to dealing with hunger, without it being such a shock.
This feels like the perfect time to shed light on a Prophetic saying that many of us know:
“The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is enough for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls to keep him going, but if he must (fill his stomach), then one third is for food, one third is for drink and one third for air.”
And just as each part of Ramadan has a different meaning (first 10 days are mercy; the next 10 days are forgiveness; the last 10 days are salvation), so does the meaning of this prophetic saying.
Over the last few days I’ve received many messages along the lines of: “How are you surviving on just 800kcal?” This question has a lot to do with our conditioning – that we have to eat until we’re completely full… especially during Ramadan, in order to survive the next day of fasting. But, this hadith (prophetic saying) didn’t come for us to follow 11 months of the year – it came for all months.
How do you know you are following the advice of the Prophet, peace & blessings upon him? Eat until the hunger is gone, but stop before you’re completely full and satisfied. When you follow this advice, you’ll find a whole new kind of satisfaction.
During Ramadan, by not over-eating at night, your body will adapt to depending on its fat stores for energy instead of just the food you eat. This means, you’ll have more energy all day long, less intense energy ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ which come from sugar dependancy, and each day you’ll notice your body getting leaner and lighter, so you’re fit, ready and motivated to do acts of devotional worship.
As a Sheikh said to me recently: just as you can kill a plant by over-watering it, so you can kill your soul and your body by over-feeding it. Food serves one purpose: to fuel and strengthen us to know, love and devote ourselves to the divine.
