36.1 Mohamed Falls Ill Mohamed fell ill. He had never been seriously ill before, for he lived a life that discouraged illness. He ate sparingly of food, of a simple nature, mostly dry bread, a few dates or a little milk. Occasionally he ate honey which he liked. He never overate and always advised people to under eat rather than overeat. He washed five times a day for prayer and wore simple clothes. The Muslims were bewildered. They had never seen Mohamed ill before or giving in to a physical need. Consequently Usama's army did not move, but waited on the outskirts of the city to be reassured that all was well. On the first day of his illness when he was still able to move about, Mohamed went to visit the graves, taking only his servant, Abu Muwayhiba, with him.