Imam ibnul Qayyim’s “Madarijus Salikeen” V.2 p348

The Fourth Spoiler of the Heart

Excessive Eating



And the spoiling in this category is of two types:

One: That which is spoiled in its essence like the prohibitions. This can be of two types: What is prohibited because of the rights of Allah, meaning what Allah has prohibited such as eating of the carcass and pig and drinking blood.The other type is that which is prohibited because of the rights of the slaves of Allah, such as that which has been taken unlawfully or against an individual’s wishes or that which has been stolen.

The second type: That which spoils it [the heart] by transgressing the limits, like excess in that which is halal and eating more than one’s needs which in turn makes the person lazy in carrying out acts of worship.

….Hence, while excessive eating widens the path of desire, fasting narrows it. For he who eats a lot will drink a lot and sleep a lot and in turn, lose a lot.

من أكل كثيرا شرب كثيرا فنام كثيرا فخسر كثيرا

Abu-Na’eem has written in Kitabatu-Tib that the Holy Prophet   has said that the Al-Mighty Allah has not created any utensil bigger than stomach and that when a person takes meal, he should try to divide the whole thing into three parts. One for food, another for water and the third for breathing.

It is reported that Iblees, La’anhullah, appeared before Yahya bin Zakariyyah Alahimussalam. Yahya asked him, “have you ever been able to empower me in any matter?”

Iblees replied: “No. Except that one night some food was presented before you and I made you desire it until you ate your fill from it and slept through your daily remembrance.”

Yahya replied: “By Allah! I will never eat my fill after this day again.”

Iblees responded: And by Allah! I will never advise the son of Adam again”.