Question 2081: How can the narrations recommending eating less be reconciled with the nutritional needs of people who are weak, anemic, or suffering from malnutrition?

284 22 Sep 2025
Read Answer

Answer

✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عن عُثْمَانَ الْأَحْوَلِ عَنْ أَبِی الْحَسَنِ قال: لَیْسَ مِنْ دَوَاءٍ إِلَّا و یُهَیِّجُ دَاءً و لَیْسَ شَیْءٌ أَنْفَعَ فِی الْبَدَنِ مِنْ إِمْسَاکِ الْیَدِ إِلَّا عَمَّا یُحْتَاجُ إِلَیْهِ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 8, p. 273

Imam Kadhim, peace be upon him, said: There is no medicine except that it provokes a disease, and nothing is more beneficial for the body than refraining, except for what is needed!

2 عن مُوسَی بْنِ بَکْرٍ قال: قال لِی أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مَا لِی أَرَاکَ مُصْفَرّاً قُلْتُ وَعْکٌ أَصَابَنِی فَقَالَ کُلِ اللَّحْمَ فَأَکَلْتُهُ ثُمَّ رَآنِی بَعْدَ جُمْعَةٍ وَ أَنَا عَلَی حَالِی مُصْفَرّاً فَقَالَ لِی أَ لَمْ آمُرْکَ بِأَکْلِ اللَّحْمِ فَقُلْتُ مَا أَکَلْتُ غَیْرَهُ مُنْذُ أَمَرْتَنِی قَالَ کَیْفَ تَأْکُلُهُ قُلْتُ طَبِیخاً قَالَ لَا کُلْهُ کَبَاباً فَأَکَلْتُهُ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ إِلَیَّ فَدَعَانِی بَعْدَ جُمْعَةٍ فَإِذَا الدَّمُ قَدْ عَادَ فِی وَجْهِی فَقَالَ الْآنَ نَعَمْ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 319

Musa ibn Bakr said: Imam Kadhim, peace be upon him, said to me: Why do I see you looking yellow? I said: I got a fever. The Imam said: Eat meat! So I ate meat, and a week later, the Imam saw me still in a yellow state and said: Did I not command you to eat meat? I said: Since you gave me the command, I have not eaten anything but meat! The Imam said: How do you eat it? I said: By cooking it! The Imam said: No! Eat it as a kebab! So I ate it, and a week later, the Imam sent for me and called for me, and my blood had returned to my face! Then he said: Now, yes! (Now it's right)!

3 عن مُوسَی بْنِ بَکْرٍ قال: اشْتَکَیْتُ بِالْمَدِینَةِ شَکَاةً ضَعُفْتُ مِنْهَا فَأَتَیْتُ أَباالْحَسَنِ فَقَالَ لِی أَرَاکَ ضَعِیفاً قُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ لِی کُلِ الْکَبَابَ فَأَکَلْتُهُ فَبَرَأْتُ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 318

Musa ibn Bakr said: I was afflicted with a disease in Medina that caused me to become weak; so I came to Imam Kadhim, peace be upon him, and the Imam said to me: I see you are weak? I said: Yes! Then he said to me: Eat kebab! And I ate it and got well!

4 عَنْ عَبْداللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عن أَبِی عَبْداللَّهِ قَالَ: إِنَّ نَبِیّاً مِنَ الْأَنْبِیَاءِ شَکَا إِلَی اللَّهِ الضَّعْفَ وَ قِلَّةَ الْجِمَاعِ فَأَمَرَهُ بِأَکْلِ الْهَرِیسَةِ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 319

Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: One of the prophets complained to Allah, the Exalted, of weakness and little coitus. So he commanded him to eat Harisa!

✍Harisa is the same as Haleem, which is a food cooked with meat and wheat.

5 From Bakr ibn Muhammad al-Azdi, from Khidr, he said: I was with Abu Abdullah (Imam Sadiq) when a man from our companions came to him and said: A child is born to us who is small-bodied and weak! The Imam said: What prevents you from eating sawiq! For it strengthens the bones and grows the flesh.

📚 Mahasin, p. 488

Khidr said: I was with Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, when a man from his companions came to him and said: A child is born to us who is small-bodied and weak! The Imam said: What prevents you from eating sawiq! For it strengthens the bones and grows the flesh!

6 Uthayma, who was the Um Walad of Abd al-Salam, said: Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Give your children sawiq to drink in their childhood, for it grows flesh and strengthens bones.

📚 Mahasin, p. 489

7 Bakr ibn Muhammad al-Azdi said: Uthayma entered upon Abu Abdullah (Imam Sadiq) with her son, whose name I think was Muhammad. The Imam said to her: Why do I see your son's body thin? She said: He is sick! The Imam said to her: Give him sawiq to drink, for it grows flesh and strengthens bones!

📚 Mahasin, p. 489

✅ Based on the above narrations and others, although many narrations recommend eating less, it generally means avoiding overeating, and according to narration 1 and others, the body's nutritional needs must be met sufficiently, and in terms of the type of food, the body's needs must be fulfilled so that the body is saved from weakness and anemia.

✅ Refer to this link.

https://feghh14.com/en

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر