Original content

English translation

Know that a human being has no escape from eating, for the sustaining and composition of the natural constitution comes about only through food and drink; but the condition of manliness (muruwwa) is that one should not go to excess in it, nor keep oneself preoccupied day and night with thinking about it. al-Shafi'i, may God have mercy on him, says: 'Whoever's chief concern is what goes into his belly, his worth is what comes out of it.' And for the seeker of the Truth nothing is more harmful than eating much. Earlier in this book, in the 'Chapter on Hunger' (Bab al-Ju'), I have said something of this meaning; but here this amount is fitting. And in the anecdotes I found that Abu Yazid, may God be pleased with him, was asked: 'Why do you praise hunger so greatly?' He said: 'Indeed, had Pharaoh been hungry, he would never have said, "I am your Lord Most High" (Qur'an 79:24); and had Qarun (Korah) been hungry he would not have rebelled; and Tha'laba, as long as he was hungry, was praised by all tongues, but when he was sated he made his hypocrisy manifest.' And God Most High said: 'Those who disbelieve take their enjoyment and eat as the cattle eat, and the Fire shall be their abode' (Qur'an 47:12). And Sahl ibn Abd Allah, may God be pleased with him, said: 'A belly filled with forbidden wine I love more than one filled with lawful food.' They asked: 'Why?' He said: 'Because when the belly is full of wine, the intellect grows quiet and the fire of lust dies down, and people are safe from his hand and tongue; but when it is full of lawful food it craves excess, lust gains strength, and the lower self (nafs) raises its head in pursuit of its own shares.' And the masters said, describing them: 'Their eating is like the eating of the sick and their sleep like the sleep of the drowning. Their eating was as that of the sick and their sleep as the sleep of those who are drowning.' So the condition of the manners of eating is that they should not eat alone, and should prefer one another (practice ithar); as he, peace be upon him, said: 'The worst of people is one who eats alone, beats his servant, and withholds his aid.' When they sit at the table let them not be silent, let them begin with the name of God, and let them not speak of anything, in serving or taking, that would cause aversion to their companions; let them dip the first morsel in salt and deal fairly with their companion. And Sahl ibn Abd Allah was asked about the meaning of 'Truly God commands justice and beneficence' (Qur'an 16:90). He said: 'Justice ('adl) is to give one's companion his fair share in the morsel, and beneficence (ihsan) is to reckon him more deserving of that morsel than oneself.' And my master, may God be pleased with him, used to say: 'I marvel at the pretender who says, "I have renounced the world," and yet is preoccupied with thinking of a morsel.' Then one should eat food with the right hand and look at nothing but one's own morsel; while eating one should drink less water except in the case of true thirst; and when one drinks, drink little, only enough to moisten the liver; one should not make the morsel large, should chew it small, and should not hurry, for from these things there is fear of indigestion and of opposing the Sunna; and when one is finished with the food, one should give praise and wash the hands. And if, out of a company, two or three or more secretly go to an invitation apart from the group and eat something, some of the masters have said: 'That is forbidden, and it is a betrayal of companionship; "Those devour naught into their bellies save the Fire" (Qur'an 2:174)'; and a group said: 'When there is a company in agreement with one another, it is permissible'; and a group said: 'Even if it is a single person it is permissible; for he is required to deal fairly not in the state of solitude but in the state of companionship. When he is alone, the rule of a moment's companionship is lifted from him, and he is not held accountable for it.' And the most important principle in this path is that one should not refuse the invitation of a dervish, should not go to the invitation of a worldly person, should not accept their food, and should not ask anything of them; for in that there is a debasement of the Path, since the people of the world are not intimate (mahram) with the dervishes. In sum, a man is not worldly by the abundance of his possessions, nor a dervish by their scarcity; for whoever affirms the superiority of poverty over wealth is not worldly, even if he be a king, and whoever denies it is worldly, even if he be destitute. And when one is present at an invitation, one should not put on affectation about eating or not eating this or that, but proceed according to the ruling of the moment. And when the host is intimate (mahram), it is permissible for a married man to take away a portion (zulla); but if he is not intimate, going to his house is not permissible. Yet at all times not taking a portion is better; for Sahl ibn Abd Allah, may God be pleased with him, says: 'al-zulla zulla. The portion is a slip.' And God knows best what is right.