Aslam

virtuous deeds which descended from heaven to earth, the greatest is hunger. Of all the evils which have descended from heaven to eath, the worst is eating with heart's content. He said:
The machinations of the devil go away from one who remains hungry- He said: God advances to a man who is in hunger, diseases, dangers and calamities. God releases some men from these things at His sweet will. He said: Know that a man of the present age will not get salvation till he destroys his passion and sleeps by hunger, and does hard labour. He said: There is no such man in the world who can save himself from sin by drinking to his heart's content even though he expresses grtefulness to God.
If it is so in case of water drinking, how will it be in case of eating with full satisfaction?

Some wise man was asked: How can I change my passion?
He said: Change your passion with hunger, thirst, taking up humility, by giving up name and fame, making them lower by placing them under the feet off those who seek the next world and opposing constantly your passions. The sage Abdul Wahed said: The merciful loves a hungry man. A man can walk upon water by virtue of hunger and God gives him power for this. The sage Abu Bakr Mujni said: God loves three men-(l) one who sleeps little, (2) one who eats little, and (3) one who takes little rest.

Jesus christ once kept fastconsequitively for two months and began to converse secretly with his Lord. When he remembered to take his meal, the secret conversation stopped and he found his meal placed before him. He began to weep when his secret conversation was suddenly closed. It is said that Moses gained the power of secretly talking with God when he was in fast of consequitive forty days.

BENEFITS OF HUNGER AND HARMS OF OVER-EATING

The Holy Prophet said: 'Fight your passion with hunger and thirst.' You may ask wherefrom this good of hunger comes and what is its cause though it gives trouble to belly. This statement is like the word of a man who thinks, after getting the benefit of a bitter and distasteful medicine that a bitter medicine gives benefit. Benefit arises not from bitterness of the medicine. A physician knows the effect of such a medicine. Similarly the

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74 The Book of Destructive evils Vol-III

sages and saints among the learned understand the benefit s of hunger. He who believes the truth of remaining hungry gets the benefit. God says: God will raise those in ranks who believe among you and those who have been given knowledge. The following ten benefits are obtained from hunger.