Aslam

Hazrat Hasn Basri recited this verse (33:72) I offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains but they refused to undertake jt, being afraid thereof but man undertook it. Then he said: God asked the angels to carry this burden. He asked them; Will you bear the responsibility of this trust? God said: If you make it beautiful, you will get rewards. If you make it ugly, you will be punished. They said: We shall not accept it. He then presented it to men who accepted it as they are prone to make oppression on soul and ignorant of Lord's order. By God, they are now selling that trust in exchange of money. Thereafter there are making beautiful houses but make their graves narrow. They are making their bodies therewith stout and strong but they are making their religion lean and thin. Once the Prophet saw a man wfth building belly. He hinted at it and said: If you had spent it on other affairs, it would have been better for you.

I

'S

These are. the ten benefits of hunger. Innumerable benefits come out of each benefit. So there is no end of the benefits of hunger. It is the most valuable asset for the next world. For this reason, a certain sage said: Hunger is a key to the next world and the door to asceticism, eating with satisfaction is the key to this world and the door to greed.

SOJOURNER IN THE PATH OF RELIGION: Those who wish the walk in the path of religion should observe the following rules to control the greed for food and drink. His first duty is that he shall not eat except lawful foods. If a man worships after eating unlawful food lives in a house built in the waves of sea. Besides this, there remain three duties to be observed in connection with food (1) quantity of meal, (2) time of meal, (3) and the kinds of meal.

QUANTITY OF MEAL: Litte food is good. A man should lessen his meal gradually and not at a time. There are four stages of meal according to the degree of piety. The first and the highest is the stage of a Siddiq or truthful man. He eats what is absolutely

m*>

30 The Book of Destructive evils VoI-III

necessary to upkeep his today. The saint Sahal Tastari said: A

man can worship by three things life, intellect and strength.

When a man fears loss of life and intellect, he should eat and if he

then fasts, he should break it. It is the unanimous opinion of the

learned men that it is better to pray sitting owing to weakness of

hunger than to pray standing after eating with satisfaction. When .

he was asked about his quantity of food, he replied: My meal for a

whole year cost me nearly three dirhams. One day I purchase

wheat with one dirham, fine rice with one dirham and clarified

butter with one dirham. After mixing them all, I make 360 small

pieces. Every evening, I break fast with one piece only.