Fatwa ID: 02667

Answered by: Aalimah Sabrina Saidova

Question:

Asalam Alaikum

Is this statement authentically attributed to Umar?

عن الحسن أن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه رأى رجلا عظيم البطن فقال: ما هذا؟ قال: بركة من الله قال: بل عذاب

Hasan (rahimahullah) reported: 'Umar ibn Al Khattab (radiyallahu 'anhu) saw a man with a large belly and asked, 'What is this?' The man said, 'It is a blessing from Allah.' 'Umar (radiyallahu 'anhu) said, 'No, rather it is a punishment.'

Is the chain authentic?

Hadithu Muhammad ibn 'Abdillah Al Ansari: 42)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The statement you have mentioned has been recorded in Hadithu Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah al-Ansari and its chain of narration has been graded as dhaif (weak) by Muhaqqiq Mus’ad Abd al-Hamid Muhammad as-Sa’di because “al-Hasan has not heard from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab.”[1]

However, although the wording of this report may possibly be weak, the meaning however, has inevitably been proven from some of the statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him) such as in the instance wherein the Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “No man fills a container worse than his stomach. A few morsels that keep his back upright are sufficient for him…”[2]

Our deen is a religion that encourages moderation in all actions from eating to fasting, therefore eating to the extent that the abdominal region becomes abnormally apparent is not from amongst the liked things in our religion and it is best to refrain from it.

[1] Hadithu Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah al-Ansari p.52, hadith:42, Adhwa’us Salaf

[2] Qutul Mughtadhi ala Jami’ at-Tirmidhi, 2/578, hadith:238, Risalatud Dukturat

And Allah knows best

Answered by Aalimah Sabrina Saidova

Checked and approved Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham