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What is the treatment from the Quran and Sunnah for losing excess weight, while maintaining the performance of the five daily prayers and the supererogatory prayers?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Obesity may be the result of a disease or a hormonal disorder that requires medical treatment, or it may stem from overeating. To address this, it is advisable to adhere to the Islamic etiquette of eating, such as saying "Bismillah" (in the name of Allah) before eating and "Alhamdulillah" (praise be to Allah) after it, and reducing the quantity based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "No human ever filled a vessel worse than his stomach. A few morsels are sufficient for the son of Adam to keep his back straight. But if he must eat, then a third for his food, a third for his drink, and a third for his breath," and the noble verse: ﴿وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ﴾ [And eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess].

There is no specific cure for obesity in the Quran and Sunnah, but the Quran is a general healing for heart and bodily ailments. It is legislated for the ill person to recite the Mu'awwidhat (Surahs Al-Falaq and An-Nas) and blow upon himself, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to do; he would blow upon himself with the Mu'awwidhat when complaining. It is also legislated for a Muslim to supplicate to Allah for healing and well-being.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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