حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ المُبَارَكِ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ الحِمْصِيُّ، وَحَبِيبُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ جَابِرٍ الطَّائِيِّ، عَنْ مِقْدَامِ بْنِ مَعْدِي كَرِبَ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: مَا مَلَأَ آدَمِيٌّ وِعَاءً شَرًّا مِنْ بَطْنٍ. بِحَسْبِ ابْنِ آدَمَ أُكُلَاتٌ يُقِمْنَ صُلْبَهُ، فَإِنْ كَانَ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَثُلُثٌ لِطَعَامِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِشَرَابِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِنَفَسِهِ

حَدَّثَنَا الحَسَنُ بْنُ عَرَفَةَ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، نَحْوَهُ، وَقَالَ المِقْدَامُ بْنُ مَعْدِي كَرِبَ: عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

Book [34]: Zuhd
Chapter [47]: What has been related about it being disliked to eat much

Ḥadīth [2380]: It is reported on the authority of Miqdām bin Ma’dī Karb (may Allāh be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “The human does not fill any container that is worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Ādam to eat what will support his back. If this is not possible, then a third for food, a third for drink, and third for his breath.”

(Another chain) “from al-Miqdām bin Ma’dī Karib from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him)” and he did not mention: “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him)”

Abū ‘Īsā said: This ḥadīth is ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ

This ḥadīth dissuades us from overeating as this causes laziness and affects one’s health.

• Reference: [516 (1/458), Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn, Dārussalām (Eng)]

Eating and drinking is not the be all and end all of man’s life. The main purpose of his creation is to offer his obeisance and obedience to Allah. To perform this, he needs health of body, which is only possible if man keeps part of his stomach empty be leaving himself a little hungry after the meals. To constantly keep eating to one’s fill causes the stomach to go bad. Man, therefore, would be well advised to not always eat to his fill but only as much as is absolutely essential.

• Reference: [2380 (4/397), Sunan at-Tirmidhī, Dārussalām (Eng)]

a) Overeating results in food not being digested and leaves the body without any benefit. So, one should eat only the amount that could be digested easily and benefit the body.
b) The purpose of eating is only to stay alive. Hence, instead of wasting time in preparing formal and delicious dishes, one should spend his time in good and useful deeds.

• Reference: [3349 (4/366), Sunan ibn Mājah, Dārussalām (Eng)]

• Sunan ibn Mājah (3349)
• Musnad Aḥmad (17186 (28/422)) [Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ]
• Musnad Aḥmad (17120 (13/294-295)) [Aḥmad Shākir]
• Sharḥ as-Sunnah (4048 (14/249))
• Siyar A’lām an-Nubalā’ (8/326-327)
• Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (5192)
• Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn (516)
• Al-Jāmi’ aṣ-Ṣaghīr [Suyūṭī] (8117 (1/496))
• Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmi’ (5674 (2/990))
• Irwā’ al-Ghalīl (1983 (7/41-43))
• Silsilah Aḥādīth aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥah (2265 (5/336-338))

Grade:

• Ṣaḥīḥ Isnād by Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ (Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn)
• Ṣaḥīḥ Isnād by Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir (Musnad Aḥmad)
• Ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh Al-Albānī (Sunan at-Tirmidhī, Sunan ibn Mājah, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmi’, Irwā’ al-Ghalīl)
• Ṣaḥīḥ by Ḥāfiẓ Zubayr ‘Alī Za’ī (Sunan at-Tirmidhī, Sunan ibn Mājah, Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ)
• Ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ by Imām at-Tirmidhī (Sunan at-Tirmidhī)
• Ḥasan by Imām as-Suyūṭī (Al-Jāmi’ aṣ-Ṣaghīr)
• Ḥadīth is ḥasan – Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ (Sunan ibn Mājah)
• Ḥadīth is ṣaḥīḥ with its routes, but this isnād is ḍa’īf – Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ (Sharḥ as-Sunnah)