Aslam

(3) Kind of food: The seeds of wheat are the best of foods.
Meat and sweet things are best and salt and condiment are worst.
The middle kind of food is curries cooked with oil. The sage Ihya-b- Maaz said: O religious men appertaining to the class of the truthful, keep your passion now hungry for feast of the Paradise of Ferdous. For mis reason, there are abundant rewards in giving up greed for even lawful things and the possibility of harms if they are enjoyed in full. The Prophet said: Those who eat fine flour are worst. It is not unlawful but the meaning of this Hadis is that if one is habituated to eating fine flour, he may fall to the attachment of the world which leads to sin. The Prophet said: Among my followers, those are worst whose goal is food of various kinds and fine dresses and who spend most of their times in useless talks. God revealed to Moses: O Moses, consider yourself as an inmate of grave. My remembrance will restrain you from greed and evil desires. The earlier sages feared tor those who enjoyed delicious food and remained busy in satisfaction of their natural propensities.

Hazrat Omar restrained himself from drinking cold water mixed with honey. He said: Save me from the responsibility of its account. It has been narrated that once Ibn Omar fell ill and he wanted to enjoy fresh fish. After search, a fish worth one and a half

voi-m

Greed and suxual passion

83

dirham was brought to him. The fish was fried and was presented to jjjjn with bread. At that time a beggar came there. He ordered his servant to give him the fish with the bread. The servant gave him one and half dirham and did not give him the fish and bread. He ordered his servant to give the beggar the fish and the bread in addition to the dirhams and said: 1 heard the Prophet say: God forgives the sins of one who denies himself a thing for which he has got greed to enjoy. The Prophet said: If you donot appease the hunger for a dog by giving it a piece of bread and a pot of pure water, calamity will come to the world and its inmates.

Once news reached Hazrat Omar that Yezid, son of. Abu Sufiyan, remained busy in enjoyment of various delicious food.
He said to his servant: When the meal of night is served before Yezid, inform me at once. The servant informed him accordingly and Hazrat Omar went to him and sat by his side. Hazrat Omar began to eat with him. At first soup of meat was presented and then came baked meat. When Yezid was going to take it, Omar said to him: O Yezid, one food after another? By One in whose and there is my life, if you give up the practices of the sages of the previous refugees, you will drift away from their path.