The One-Third Rule

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وَرُوِيَ عَن أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ

It is narrated from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him,

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَصْلُ كُلِّ دَاءٍ الْبِرْدَةُ

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: The root of every illness is fullness.

وَرُوِيَ أَيْضًا عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ

It is also narrated from Ibn Mas'ud.

وَالْبِرْدَةُ التُّخْمَةُ لِأَنَّهَا تُبَرِّدُ حَرَارَةَ الشَّهْوَةِ

'Al-Bardah' means overeating, because it cools the heat of appetite.

فَ يَنْبَغِي الِاقْتِصَارُ عَلَى الْمُوَافِقِ الشَّهِيِّ بِلَا إِكْثَارٍ مِنْهُ

So, one should limit themselves to agreeable, delightful food, without excess.

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا مَلَأَ ابْنُ آدَمَ وِعَاءً شَرًّا مِن بَطْنِهِ

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: A human fills no container worse than his stomach.

يَحْسُبُ ابْنُ آدَمَ أَكَلَاتٍ يُقِمْنَ صُلْبَهُ

A human needs only a few bites that sustain his spine.

فَ إِنْ كَانَ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَثُلُثٌ لِطَعَامِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِشَرَابِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِنَفْسِهِ

If it is unavoidable, then a third for his food, a third for his drink, and a third for his breath.

هَذَا رَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيُّ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَ قَالَ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

This is narrated by An-Nasa'i and At-Tirmidhi who said it is good and authentic.

وَأَكَلَاتٍ جَمْعُ أَكْلَةٍ وَهِيَ اللُّقْمَةُ

'Bites' is the plural of 'bite', which is a morsel.

وَهَذَا بَابٌ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ حِفْظِ الصِّحَّةِ

This is a topic from the chapters of health preservation.

قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنُ وَاقِدٍ

Ali bin Al-Hasan bin Waqid said,

وَقَدْ جَمَعَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى الطِّبَّ كُلَّهُ فِي نِصْفِ آيَةٍ

And Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has summarized all of medicine in half a verse.

فَقَالَ تَعَالَى وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا

He said, 'And eat and drink, but do not be excessive.'