Moderation in Eating & Self-Care
According to a Hadith narrated by Al-Miqdam Ibn Ma’di Karib (ra): “The son of Adam does not fill a vessel worse than his stomach. It is enough for him to take only a few mouthfuls to straighten his back, but if he has to eat his fill, let him fill his stomach with one-third food, one-third drink and one-third air.” (Ibn Majah)
Islam encourages people
to eat in moderation. One of the big problems we have today is the
overconsumption of food and overindulgence in fast food restaurants which are
detrimental to our health. Eating excessively does not only lead to significant
health risks such as overweight, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and
diabetes but also to spiritual evils such as hardened hearts, laziness in acts
of worship (Ibaadat) and the difficulty to control lustful desires.
The Sunnah is to eat in
moderation except when one is invited to a banquet or a celebration such as a
wedding, one can exceptionally eat one’s fill. Hazrat Malik ibn Dinar (ra) reports:
“The Messenger of Allah never ate bread with meat when he was hungry unless
he ate in the company of people.” [al-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyah 71].
To put this prophetic
recommendation into practice, two things are needed. First, we must learn to
control our eyes. Today there is such an abundance of food, dishes that are so
appealing that our eyes cannot resist succumbing to gluttony. It is often said
that our eyes are bigger than our stomach, and it is often very true.
We must first therefore,
stop being tempted by cravings which encourages over-eating. Second, we must
learn to control our intake of food and drink. Reduce the amount of its consumption.
Reduce the quantity gradually until you reach the right balance to regain an
ideal weight and healthy iron. Too radical diets do not work; the human being
takes time to adapt to a new condition; so you have to go slowly.
We have had an
opportunity with the coming of the blessed month of Ramadan to control our food
and drink level and re-establish the balance needed. Now that Ramadan is coming
to an end, we must not forget to maintain that good and healthy habit to
consuming little food – little food, yes, but healthy food.
Today in order to portrait
themselves as fashionable and in today’s trend, young people praise the merit
of intermittent fasting as a means of losing weight. Instead of these impromptu
hunger strikes that bring us no spiritual reward, let’s us teach our young
people the good habit of keeping voluntary fasts. This will not only bring them
– us all – immense rewards for the Hereafter but will also have beneficial
effects for our health. You have to eat to live, not live to eat.
Islam teaches us to
care for others and be selfless, but also highlights that we need to
demonstrate self-care also. Looking after oneself is crucial to lead a healthy
and prosperous life. Our ‘me’ time should be incorporated in our daily schedule,
prioritizing our health and wellbeing so as we can be the best versions for
ourselves and for others.
Self-care is a
decision-making process that enables an individual to cater for his mental,
physical, spiritual and emotional needs efficiently and conveniently, in
collaboration with health and social care professionals if needed. According to
the World Health Organisation, Self-care is what people do for themselves to
establish and maintain health and to prevent and deal with illness.
It is important to take
time for ourselves and find clarity and build a relationship with Allah
Almighty is also very important for He is the One Who will empower us with all
the means to be able to refuel ourselves and be at our topmost level. It is a
sign of gratitude from our part to show love, compassion and patience with
ourselves and be thankful to have been gifted life and be servants of our Lord.
Self-care activities
may appeal to many and yet seen hard to reach in our crowded, noisy, modern
world. Too often, our culture assigns self-worth with productivity, the rat
race being a one-way ticket for burn-out. Self-care allows our bodies to break
for a while and pause, reflect and fill our own cups to the maximum to be able
to better serve others from the overflow. We can only give others what we have practiced
giving to ourselves. Once we become consciously aware of how we operate, what
are our patterns of behaviour, how to deal with painful situations and our
triggers, we would be in a better position to respond to other people’s needs.
After all, I am the one who will decide what needs I want to farm in this life
for the produce of the next.
There are a few
obstacles we might encounter which would hinder our intention to implement self-care
practices in our day-to-day life. These are a feeling of guilt or selfishness
when we retire to be on our own to do our private stuffs.
Sometimes, others might
even say it and we internalize it as being true. We feel we are only supposed
to use our time for others’ care and that we are neglecting our responsibilities
for a while if we are not 24/7 doing our job.
Secondly, we feel that
self-care is something unreachable and expensive and we would only be able to
achieve it if only we have extra money in hand. Some activities for sure like
exploring a new hobby, travelling abroad or even a spree at the spa, etc. would
be difficult to perform if finances are tight. Rest assured self-care practices
are just simple and affordable.
Finally, experiencing
stress on a permanent basis can be a drawback for it would difficult to loosen
up and make few adjustments in lifestyle. The misconception is that we need to
rush towards the finish line in all we undertake and pressurize ourselves while
failing to enjoy the journey through. Our aim should be to develop a healthy
response to stress which is a skill that will better serve us in the future.
While some stressors are within the realm of our control and could easily be
prevented or can be dealt with, others are unavoidable and tackling them would
require much effort.
There are 7 pillars of
self-care and they are as follows:
1.
Mental
– cultivating a healthy mindset through mindfulness and curiosity.
2.
Emotional
– taking care of your heart with healthy coping strategies.
3. Physical
– taking care of the body with exercise, nutrition and proper sleep.
4.
Environmental
– taking care of the spaces and places around you.
5.
Spiritual
– activities that give a sense and meaning to life.
6. Recreation
– involves time for hobbies, activities for relaxation and pleasure, as well as
new experiences.
7. Social
– involves building relationships with regular connections and healthy
boundaries.
Practicing a physical
activity is of great importance and should be part of our daily routines. Exercise
stimulates the brain chemicals that leave us happier, relaxed and more
energized. There are a variety of physical activities which could be done
ranging from gym, to outdoor sports, brisk walking, trekking in nature or even
it could be fun like racing with the kids, playing games etc. Exercising gives
us a boost and helps lower symptoms like mild depression and anxiety. The end
result would leave us refreshed and rejuvenated so as we can reset, restart and
refocus with our daily preoccupations.
Prioritizing sleep and
focusing on sleep habits are also very crucial. The amount and quality of sleep
each night can impact the immune system thereby helping us to better fight
infections and flu and even prevent weight gain. A good night sleep would help
improve the heart function, the moods and even memory and eventually when we
wake up, we feel relaxed and fully charged to be able to start off replenished.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
also recommended a midday (afternoon) nap for its countless benefits.
Now,
concerning nutrition, it can have a huge effect on how we feel physically,
mentally, how we sleep, our appearances, our skin, hair and weight. Investing
in a good nutritious and balanced meal is one of the acts of self-care for we
are listening and responding to our body needs. Cultivating a healthy eating
lifestyle would reap its benefits in the long term for we would be in better
ability to fight diseases and illnesses. Our meals should be composing of
plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables providing the necessary vitamins,
minerals, fibre, proteins, nuts, grains, carbohydrates. Food we should consider
are probiotics foods, berries and dark leafy vegetables which are full of antioxidants
and fish like salmon, anchovies, mackerel which are rich sources of Omega Those
may play a key role in generating serotonin known as the ‘feel good’ chemicals.
Great care should be taken while consuming fried, salty snacks, fast foods,
sugars and refined carbs. Drinking adequate amounts of water also is very
necessary for our bodies need water to keep us hydrated and perform well.
Fasting especially during Sunnah days also - (i.e. besides the month of
Ramadan, to fast every Monday and Thursday like our Beloved Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) used to do) - would benefit us.
It
would be advisable to keep a record of our fasting sugar levels, vitamin D,
iron, thyroid stimulating hormones on a regular basis. Nurturing the gut health
is also very important. Adopting a good eating habit would enable us to better
show up in our daily lives. Eat your food as your medicine before taking medicine
as your food!
I
hereby end with this Hadith of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): “There
is no vessel which the son of Adam can fill that is worse than his stomach.”
(Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
So,
take good care of yourselves!
I wish to all my Muslim brothers and sisters and my disciples who are celebrating Eid today, Eid-ul-Fitr Mubarak, and I wish a subsequent Eid Mubarak to the rest of my disciples and Muslim Ummah. May your everyday be Eid Day. May Allah have mercy on the whole Ummah, and arm us with the faculties and abilities to serve His cause in excellent ways and bring back all lost souls to the fold of Islam. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
----Friday Sermon of 21 April 2023~29 Ramadan 1444 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.