Chapter II: Discipline of the Soul
DUTIES AFTER MEAL: (1) When a man wishes to cohabit with his wife he should do it before he takes his meal. (2) It js better not to sleep after eating and drinking with satisfaction.
Two harms arise in case of sleep after meal the habit of idleness and the heart becoming hard. (3) It is better after meal to hold conversation, to pray, to make Zikr as these are near expressing gratefulness. The Prophet said: Digest your food by prayer and Zikr and don't sleep soon after meal. If you do it, your heart will become hard. (4) The lowest duty after meal is to pray four rak'ats or to recite one hundred Tasbih or a portion of the Quran.
When Sufiyan Saori ate with satisfaction at night, he used to pray throughout the night. When he ate with satisfaction at day time he used to pray and make Zikr. He said: Give full food to the belly of a Negro slave and exact from him hard work. He used often to say: Exact from him hard work after giving full food.
Whenever you desire to eat some food or good fruits, you should take it in lieu of meal, so that you may gain strength. A wise man said: Don't eat being greedy for it. If you eat it, don't search for it.
If you search for it, don't love it. To search for various kinds of food is greed. Don't allow your greed to follow all lawful things.
Whatever food a man takes out of greed, he will be said therefor:
You have enjoyed your good things in this word's life. You can fulfill your desire in the next world in proportion to your gibing up of greed and desire in this world. A wise man of Basra said:
My desire disputed with me about eating bread and fish but I restrained myself from eating them. This continued for the last 20 years. When he died, man of Basra said: I saw him in dream and asked: What rewards has God given you? He said: I can't describe fully what rewards my God has given me. He entertained me first with bread and fish and I have been allowed to enjoy it every day withoutaccount. God said: Eat and drink in exchange of what you have lost in bygone days. The sage Abu Solaiman said: To give up a desire is more benefiting than fasting and praying for one year.
y0]-III Greed and suxual passion 85
|
j. !
I
■ ■i
if
■
'!
MEANS OF GAINING MODERATION IN EATING: Know,