The Mahdi often tied a stone to his stomach. Among the people, it was said that those who ate luxurious foods were infidels with no share in Islam. Therefore, everyone strove to hide their rich foods, and the only food available to the people was millet bread with water and salt, or "bailah," which is made from millet grains mixed with water. The Mahdi had no other food available to the people except these two.

The Mahdi also showed asceticism in food, to the extent that he forbade lighting a fire in his house to cook or bake, claiming it was a sign of reliance on God. People would bring him food as gifts, and you would see pots full of food arriving at his house daily, filling the courtyard. Women would take two items from them without tasting them, whether it was melon or bread.

As for the food that the Mahdi ate, it was prepared daily at the house of Amin Beyt al-Allah. He would wake up early and prepare from it, such as mulawwah, pastries, and other luxurious foods, and send them to the house of Aisha bint Idris, who would present them to the Mahdi when he was alone in his room. He would leave nothing of the first dishes but their bones, eating the delicious foods at the call to prayer and in the evening. As for the morning, he would eat many kinds of food, such as mulawwah. They would mix a pound of ghee with a pound of honey and add it to the dough, cooking it with millet flour, and sometimes with camel's milk mixed with sugar. Despite these delicacies, in front of the people, he would appear with an appearance of contentment, asceticism, and piety, as if he had no desire for this world except for his worn-out garment, which was only one. He would often use perfumes and incense, such as sandalwood and fenugreek, so that his scent could be smelled from afar. The common people believed it was the scent of piety emanating from his sweat.