4. GIVE THE BODY WHAT IT IS USED TO
One must not force his body to do what it cannot endure because the body is like a riding camel, if one is not gentle with it, it will not deliver him to his destination.
You will see people determined to become ascetic, yet his body is used to luxuries. So he turns away from what his body was used to and allows diseases to frequent him, blocking his path to much worship.
It was said, ‘Give each body what it is used to.’ The Messenger was presented with a dhab lizard, and he said, “I find that I have no liking for it, because it is not common in the land of my people.”
It is stated in the hadith of Hijrah that Abu Bakr (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) found a shady area for the Messenger placed a piece of fur for him on the ground, and added some water to the milk cup until it cooled down.
The Messenger came to some people and said, “If you have any water that has remained overnight in a skin (should use it), or sip (from a streamlet).”
He used to eat chicken meat, and it is narrated in the Sahih that he used to love sweet fruit and honey,23 but if he could not find them, he ate what he could find.
By Allah, there are some among Arabs and desert folk who are not affected by coarseness in food and clothing. They are not harmed by remaining on their (lawful) habits. As for those who are used to luxury, if they change their habits, their bodies will need adjusting and their worship will be affected and decreased.
Ibn Sirin’s house was never empty of sweet fruits. Sufyan Al-Thawri used to travel and carry with him grilled lamb and waltz.
Rabi’ah said, ‘I see no shame for a body that desires worshipping Allah to eat waltz.’
Therefore, whoever is used to luxury must be gentle with himself where possible. I learned this from self-experience as I was raised in luxury; so when I started abstinence and leaving my desires, it caused me an illness that prevented me from much worship.
I used to recite five Juz’ of the noble Qur’an. Then one day I ate some bad food, and I could not recite those five Juz’s on that day. So I said, ‘If a morsel helps one recite five Jus? where each letter equals ten good deeds, the mere eating of such morsel is a great deed. Similarly, a food that harms the body and causes it to miss good deeds must be avoided.’
The Messenger saw a man from his Companions who came to him, and his outlook was changed by abstinence; he said to him, ‘Who told you to do this?’
The wise gives his body the food that suits it, as the warrior cleans the horse’s barley.
Do not think that I recommend eating everything that’s desired or frequenting pleasurable food. I only entice eating what preserves the soul and forbid eating what harms the body. As for excessive eating, it causes sleep, and a full-stomach blinds the heart and weakens the body.
So, understand what I mention for moderation is the way.
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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