Islamic Manners of Eating and Drinking

Lesson 63 Manners of Eating and Drinking

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • Food containers should be covered.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • Hands should be washed • before and after meals.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • It is forbidden for men and women to eat from utensils made of gold or silver.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • Accept the food given to you and do not criticize it.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • The food should be shared between more than one person.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • Start eating with mentioning the Name of Allah, by saying ‘Bismillah’and after finishing, thank Him by saying ‘Alhamdulillah’.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • If any of the food falls on the ground, it should be picked up and eaten after removing any dirt.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • Never blow in hot food or drink.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • Avoid overeating.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • Offer food to the eldest people first. If food is served, begin passing to those sitting on the right-hand side.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • Eat using the right hand, and take from the food nearest the edges of the container.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • After eating with one’s hands, lick the fingers.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • Sip slowly while drinking.

Manners of Eating and Drinking: • Wash your hands, clean your teeth, and rinse your mouth after eating.

Evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah

Covering the containers of food: • The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: • “Cover up the utensils and tie up the mouth of water skins.” (Reported by Muslim)

The Prophet (SAWS) said: • “When you intend going to bed at night, put out the lights, close the doors, tie the mouths of the water skins, and cover your food and drinks.” • (Reported by al-Bukhariyy)

`Aishah (RA) said, “I used to prepare for Allah’s Messenger (SAWS) three covered containers for the night: one for his purification, one for his siwak and one for him to drink from.” • (Reported by Ibn-Majah)

Washing hands: • The Prophet (SAWS) said: • “When anyone amongst you wakes up from sleep, he must not put his hand in the utensil till he has washed it three times, for he does not know where his hand was during the night.” • (Reported by Muslim)

The Prophet (SAWS) said: • “If anyone spends the night with grease on his hand which he has not washed away, he can blame only himself if some trouble comes to him.” • (Reported by at-Tirmidhiyy)

Utensils of silver and gold: • The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: • “Surely, he who eats or drinks in gold and silver vessels fills his belly with Hell-fire.” • (Reported by al-Bukhariyy)

Accepting the food: • Abu Hurayrah (RA) narrated: • The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) never found fault with food. If he had inclination to eating it, he would eat; and if he disliked it, he would leave it. • (Reported by al-Bukhariyy and Muslim)

The Prophet (SAWS) asked for Udm (anything eaten with bread) and was told that there was nothing except vinegar. He asked for it and began to eat from it saying, “How excellent is vinegar when eaten as Udm! How excellent is vinegar when eaten as Udm!” • (Reported by Muslim)

Sharing food: • The Prophet (SAWS) said: • “Eat together and mention the Name of Allah over your food. It will be blessed for you.” • (Reported by Ahmad)

The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: • “The food of one person suffices for two, the food of two persons suffices for four persons, and the food of four persons suffices for eight persons.” • (Reported by Muslim)

Mentioning the Name of Allah and praising Him: • The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: • “When one of you eats, he should mention Allah's Name; if he forgets to mention Allah's Name at the beginning, he should say: In the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of it.” • (Reported by at-Tirmidhiyy)

The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: • “When one of you eats food, he should say: O Allah, bless us in it, and give us food (or nourishment) better than it.” • (Reported by at-Tirmidhiyy)

As for milk: • The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said: • “When one is given milk to drink he should say: O Allah! bless us in it and give us more of it.” • (Reported by at-Tirmidhiyy)

After having food: • When the Prophet (SAWS) finished his food, he would say: • “Praise be to Allah Who has given us food and drink and made us Muslims.” • (Reported by at-Tirmidhiyy)

He also would say the following after having food: • “Praise be to Allah Who has fed me with this food and provided me with it through no might and power on my part.” • (Reported by at-Tirmidhiyy)

He also would say: • “All praise is due to Allah, praise which is abundant, pure, and full of blessings, which is indispensable and to which one cannot be indifferent.” • (Reported by al-Bukhariyy)

He also would say: • “Praise be to Allah Who has given food and drink and made it easy to swallow, and provided an exit for it.” • (Reported by Abu-Dawud)

If food falls down: • The Prophet (SAWS) said: • “If any morsel dropped (on earth), one should pick it up, cleanse it of dust, and eat it and not to leave it to the devil.” • (Reported by Muslim)

Breathing in the container: • Abu-Qatadah (RA) narrated: • “The Prophet (SAWS) forbade breathing into the vessel (while drinking).” • (Reported by al-Bukhariyy and Muslim)

Avoiding overeating: • The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: • “No man fills a utensil worse than his stomach. A few morsels that keep his back upright are sufficient for a man. If eating is necessary, he should fill one-third with food, one-third with drink, and leave one-third for (easy) breathing.” • (Reported by at-Tirmidhiyy)

The sequence of passing food: • Sahl Ibn-Sa`d (RA) narrated: • “A drink was brought to the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) and he drank of it. On his right was a lad, and on his left were some old people. He said to the lad: Would you mind if I gave (the rest of this drink first) to those on my left? The lad said: O Messenger of Allah, by Allah I will not concede my share (of drinking after you) to anyone else. So he (the Prophet) handed over (the drink) to him.” • (Reported by al-Bukhariyy)

Anas (RA) narrated: • “Milk mixed with water was brought to Messenger of Allah (SAWS). On his right side was sitting a bedouin and on his left was sitting Abu Bakr (RA). He (SAWS) drank from it and handed the rest to the bedouin saying: One who is on the right has preference, then again the one who is on the right.” (Reported by al-Bukhariyy and Muslim)

Eating with the right hand: • The Prophet (SAWS) said: • “Come near, my son, mention Allah's Name, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is next to you.” • (Reported by al-Bukhariyy and Muslim)

The Prophet (SAWS) said: • “Blessing descends upon food in its middle, so eat from the sides of the vessel and do not eat from its middle.” • (Reported by at-Tirmidhiyy and Abu-Dawud)

Licking the clean fingers: • The Prophet (SAWS) said: • “When one of you finishes eating, he should not wipe his fingers until he has licked them himself.” • (Reported by al-Bukhariyy and Muslim)

Ka`b Ibn Malik (RA) narrated: • “I saw the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) eating with three fingers (i.e., the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger) and licking them after having finished the food.” • (Reported by Muslim)

The Prophet (SAWS) said: • “You do not know in which portion of your food the blessing lies.” • (Reported by Muslim)

Sipping slowly while drinking: • The Prophet (SAWS) said: • “Do not drink in one gulp like a camel, but in two or three (gulps). Mention the Name of Allah (i.e., say Bismillah) when you start drinking and praise Him (i.e., say Al-Hamdu Lillah) after you have finished (drinking).” • (Reported by at-Tirmidhiyy)

Washing the hands and rinsing the mouth: • Ibn `Abbas (RA) narrated: • “Allah's Messenger drank milk, and then rinsed his mouth saying: It has fat.” (Reported by Ibn-Majah)

Having eaten from a lamb’s shoulder, the Prophet (SAWS) rinsed his mouth and washed his hands. • (Reported by Ibn-Majah)

Suwayd Ibnun-Nu`man (RA) narrated: • “We went out with Allah's Messenger to Khaybar, and when we were at As-Sahba', Allah's Messenger asked the people to bring their food, but there was nothing with the people except Sawiq (food made from wheat and barley flour). So we all chewed and ate of it. Then the Prophet asked for some water and he rinsed his mouth, and we too, rinsed our mouths.” • (Reported by Ibn-Majah)

Islamic Manners of Eating and Drinking