Monday, December 11, 2023
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How many meals a day? And how much?

Fatwaa ID: 499

Question:
Aoa
Is it from Sunnah to eat one meal a day?
1 prominent tabLeegh brother (without taking his name ) mentioned that in his bayan.
Also how about making 3 sections.
1/3rd food 1/3rd water and 1/3rd empty . Is this from hadith or Sunnah?

Answer:
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

  1. It is not clear what your purpose is in mentioning “tabLeegh brother”. MaaShaaAllaah, many of them are doing great work. We encourage you to spend time with them as well. I am not aware of anyone else doing such work like them.
    Nevertheless, I was unable to find any Hadith suggesting that eating one meal a day is sunnah. It is true that many times Nabi ﷺ would only have one meal in one day. That is due to the lack of food and also the simplicity of Nabi ﷺ. It may be suggested from the Ahaadith that two meals a day was the most, the second being just a few dates. The meals of Nabi ﷺ were simple and small, not lavish and extravagant like we often see today. Sometimes days would pass in his life without a single meal. We suggest you read the seerah and the shamaail and learn about this great person.
  2. That is correct. This is narrated from Nabi ﷺ. See the following,

مَا مَلأَ آدَمِيٌّ وِعَاءً شَرًّا مِنْ بَطْنٍ بِحَسْبِ ابْنِ آدَمَ أُكُلاَتٌ يُقِمْنَ صُلْبَهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ لاَ مَحَالَةَ فَثُلُثٌ لِطَعَامِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِشَرَابِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِنَفَسِهِ
“A person does not fill any container that is worse than his stomach. A few morsels that keep his back upright are sufficient for him. If this is not possible, then a third for food, a third for drink and third for his breath.” [Tirmidhi 2380]

And Allaah Ta’aala knows best.
Mufti Muajul I. Chowdhury
Darul Iftaa New York
https://askthemufti.us/

07/10/1444 AH – 02/01/2023 CE | AMG1-2733

وصل اللهم وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى ءاله وصحبه أجمعين

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