From lavish buffets, to plentiful desserts and drinks, extravagance becomes a norm in our homes today, especially during Ramadan. But Ramadan is not about eating much so as not to feel hungry during the fasting hours, it’s supposed to work the other way round.

Eating less prevents us from being lazy and heedless in our worship; it unlocks the heart and enables it to be more mindful of Allah’s presence.

Allah asked us to abstain from food from morning to evening. And when you break your fast in the evening that’s not a sign of making up for the lunch that you missed.

No!

Have a Light Meal

Those who succeed to fast in the most correct way in Ramadan are those who cut down their food. Eat less for suhoor, you will be able to have a beautiful day without feeling much that you are fasting.

But if you have had a heavy meal, what happens? The enzymes are digesting, the energy required to digest, and acidity is building… By 10 o’clock in the morning, your belly is rumbling because it’s calling for more food.

The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad is to have a light meal. Suhoor is only for purpose of Barakah. So, you have something that takes long to digest like grains, a bit of porridge or cereal, a little bit of milk, maybe some water, some dates… and then see how your day will be.

‘Just because I’m not going to be eating up to 7 o’clock in the evening, let me have as much as I can in the early morning’. That’s not how it works with food, it actually works the other way. When you eat less, you are less prone to becoming hungry quick.

This one of the secrets of fasting that people are unaware of.

And in the evening if you want to pray taraweeh correctly, make sure your iftar is light. If we eat a whole load of food, we feel disturbed later.

This is not how you should treat Ramadan.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must (fill it), then one third of food, one third for drink and one third for air. (Ibn Majah)

So focus on feeding your heart well and you’ll find peace within.