Chapter IV: Poverty and Renunciation
Quantity food: The highest stage of renunciation regarding quantity is to eat one-fourth of a seer of food, the middle stage is half a seer and the lowest stage in one seer during the whole day and night. One seer (one Mud) has been fixed as expiation of sin to be given to a poor man. Beyond this, belly is worshipped.
Kinds of food: The lowest stage regarding kind of food is bread of maize which is absolutely necessary for life. The middle kind is bread of wheat and other corns and the highest kind is bread of sifted wheat. Beyond this, there is luxury, such as bread of sifted flour, shuji etc. The lowest kind of curry is of vegetables with salt or condiment and the middle kind is with oil and edible things and the highest kind is with meat of all kinds, once or twice a week. If ifJJs continued for the whole week, it goes out of the last stage of renunciation.
Time of food: The lowest stage of renunciation is to take food once only during the whole day and night which is nothing but fasting. The middle stage is to keep fast with a drink only at night or with food at night with no drink. The highes stage of renunication is to keep fast consequiti vely for three days or more.
Habit of sages regarding quantity of food. Hazrat Ayesha said : There came a time upon us when for want of oil there was no light for 40 days in the house of the Prophet and for want of food there was no fire... She asked : With what thing would he then sustain his life ? Ayesha replied : With two black things — dried grape and water. It appears from this that he give up then meat and even vegtables. Hazrat Hasan Basri said : The Prophet used to ride on asses, wear coarse woollen cloth shoes, lick up his fingers after meal take meal on the ground and say : I am a mere slave. I take food just as a slave takes and sit just as a slave sits. Jesus Christ said : I speak to you with truth, he who
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seeks garden of Ferdous should take bread of husk and sleep with dogs in the neighbouring place. The saint Fart said that the Prophet after his arivaJ at Medina could not eat bread of wheat consequitively for three days. Jesus Christ said : O the children of Israil, drink pure water and eat bread of maize and leave bread of wheat as you are unable to express gratefulness to Him. When the Prophet came to Qubba, the inhabitants came to him with drink of milk mixed with honey. He took the pot, threw it down and said : I don't make it unlawful but I leave it being modest ot God.