135 – Muhammad said: Yazid ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn Sikkin the Persian narrated to me, saying: A companion of mine—one of the devoted worshippers—told me:

“I once added a little extra food to the meal with which I broke my fast one night, and I became sluggish when it was time for prayer. In my sleep I saw women lamenting and wailing over me. I said, ‘Are you mourning for me while I am still alive?’ They replied, ‘No, you are among the dead. Do you not know that excessive eating weakens the body, kills the wakeful heart, and leaves a person like one overcome by drowsiness?’

“I asked, ‘Then what is my escape? What remedy is there for me?’ They said, ‘Stop eating while you still desire the food; that is lighter on your body when it is healthy and more restraining on your appetite when you return to food.’

“By Allah, from that day on I have never eaten to satiety, and I have found goodness only in taking what is sufficient.”