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Fatwa CenterMeaning of the Hadeeth, 'The non-believer eats in seven intestines'
Question
assalam alaykum.pls,i want explanation about hadith that indicate that unbeliever eats in seven intestines.does that shows that those who eat to their satisfaction are doing haram? I also remember another hadith that the 'stomach is the worst vessel...' may Allah bless you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
The Hadeeth that you have asked about is authentically reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah and Ibn ‘Umar 
. Its wording according to Al-Bukhari from Abu Hurayrah 
is that a man used to eat much, but when he embraced Islam, he started eating less. That was mentioned to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who then said, "A believer eats in one intestine (is satisfied with a little food) and a non-believer eats in seven intestines (eats much)."
An-Nawawi 
pointed out, in his explanation of Saheeh Muslim, some of the interpretations given to that Hadeeth and then said: "The preponderant opinion is that it means that some believers eat in one intestine and that most of the non-believers eat in seven intestines. This does not necessitate that every intestine of the seven is like that of the believer. The scholars said: 'What the Hadeeth means is to be content with little in this world and encouraging asceticism and contentment, in addition to the fact that eating little is a good characteristic, and eating a great deal is the opposite.'" [End quote]
This Hadeeth does not indicate that eating to one’s fill is something prohibited. Actually, it is not prohibited; rather, scholars stated that it is prohibited to eat more than one’s fill because it is a form of extravagance and causes harm in most cases. As-Sarakhsi said in Al-Mabsoot: "That is because one eats to benefit himself; so there is no benefit in eating more than one's fill for it causes harm. Accordingly, this will be like throwing food in garbage or worse than that. Also, other people have a right in the food that is more than one's need for it may stratify another person's hunger if it reaches him with or without a return. Thus, eating it involves a violation of the right of others and this is something prohibited. Moreover, eating more than one's fill may cause diseases and thus this will be a form of hurting oneself." [End quote]
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah reads: "Eating falls into different categories:
- Obligatory – which is that which will ward off death. If a person stops eating and drinking until he dies, then he has committed a sin.
- Rewardable – which is what will give him more energy so that he is able to pray standing up and makes it easy for him to fast.
- Permissible – which is more than that, to the point of eating one’s fill, so that he will have more physical strength. There is no reward for this and it is not regarded as sinful. He will be brought to account for it but the reckoning will be light if the food was Halaal (i.e. lawful).
- Prohibited – this refers to eating more than one’s fill unless the intention is to have the strength to fast the following day or so as not to embarrass a guest (i.e. by stopping eating before he does), in which case there is nothing wrong with eating more than one’s fill." [End quote]
As for the other Hadeeth to which you have referred, it is reported by At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah in which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "The son of Aadam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach." It has the same meaning of the wisdom that reads: The stomach is the home of disease. Ibn Rajab said: "This Hadeeth is a basic in the fundamentals of medicine." Also, one of the western writers said: "We eat three folds of what we need and thus we are afflicted with countless diseases."
Allaah The Almighty has said the truth when He The Exalted said (what means): {O children of Adam, take your adornment at every Masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.} [Quran 7:31]
For more benefit, kindly refer to Fatwa 7372.
Allaah Knows best.
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