«عِفَّهَا مَا تَاكُلْ إِلَّا نَصِيبْهَا»

The saying ties self-discipline to taking no more than one's rightful portion. The feminine pronoun refers to the self or soul (nafs), not to a woman or an animal. The self, pictured as something that eats, keeps to its own share instead of grabbing beyond it, so restraint holds a person's desires within proper bounds.

Two grammatical readings remain open. In one, the opening word is a command: keep the self restrained, and it will consume only its share. In the other, it is a noun: the self's restraint consists precisely in eating nothing beyond its share. Both point to moderation, but differ in whether they urge or describe.

Fits moments when someone reaches for more than their own portion, as a reminder that a disciplined self keeps to what belongs to it. It can be offered as quiet counsel to another person or spoken to oneself when appetite starts pushing past due measure.