The etiquette of eating and drinking in Islam – Manners of Eating and Drinking according to Sunnah
Islam is a full and complete system of life. It teaches everything for human being for their successful and happy life in this world and hereafter. Accordingly, our beloved Prophet ﷺ has taught us very beautiful and fruitful disciplines which we should follow in the every aspects of our life. If we follow these etiquettes, these general day to day activities will be considered as Ibadah (Worship) and we will be given rewards from Allah Almighty.
Here we are going to learn about the teachings of beloved Prophet ﷺ for eating and drinking.
ETIQUETTES AND MANNERS OF EATING
♦ Make sure the food is Halaal (Lawful)
Here Halaal means two points have to be noted. First one, the food should be obtained or bought through lawful (halaal) earnings or ways. (E.g. – Not stolen, not bought from the earnings of interest income); Next, the food is not prohibited according to Islamic law (E.g. – Pork)
Since, if we eat Haraam (unlawful) food, then our prayers will not be accepted.
The Beloved Prophet ﷺ has condemned the consumption of the Haraam (Unlawful) in many hadiths:
Then he (The Beloved Prophet ﷺ ) mentioned (the case of) a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying, 0 Lord! 0 Lord! Yet his food is unlawful, his drink unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, how can he be answered?” (Muslim)
♦ Cover your head with head scarf
It is a good moral practice of a Muslimah to cover her head before eating.
♦ Wash your both hands and mouth before and after having food (if can, do miswak as well)
Anas Bin Malik (RadhiAllahu Anhu) narrates that the Beloved Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever wants that Allah Ta'ala increase blessings and goodness in his home then he should do wudu when the food is presented in front of him and do wudu when it is picked i.e., wash the hands and the mouth. (Ibn Maajah)
Wudu for eating means washing the hands and mouth.
♦ Eat together with your family or friends or guests
Wahshi Bin Harb (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates that the Beloved Prophet ﷺ said, "Eat together and read Bismillah, in this, there is blessing for you." (Musnad Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah)
♦ Spread a table cloth down and place the foods on it
It is a sunnah of our Beloved Prophet ﷺ to sit down while eating. Also spreading a table cloth down and keeping the foods on the table cloth.
♦ Sit down in any of the following methods
Sit in a humble position with your knees raised or legs crossed or with one knee prostrate and the other one raised.
♦ Recite the following Dua (supplication) before eating
"Bismillah wa’ ala barkatillah."
"In the name of Allah and with the blessings of Allah."
Or at least say ‘Bismillah” (In the name of Allah)
♦ If you forget to recite Bismillah before eating, and if you recall while eating, then recite this Dua
‘Bismillaahi awwalahu wa aakhirahu ‘
(In the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end).
Beloved Prophet ﷺ said:
"When one of you eats food, then let him say: 'Bismillah.' If he forgets in the beginning, then let him say: 'Bismillahi Awwalahu Wa Aakhirahu (In the Name of Allah in its beginning and its end.)" (Abu Dawood ,Tirmidhi and Hakim)
♦ Eat food with your right hand
Abdullah Bin Umar (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates that Beloved Prophet ﷺ said: "When one eats then he should eat with the right hand and when one drinks then he should drink with the right hand. (Bukhari & Muslim)
♦ Eat from nearer foods
Narrated `Umar bin Abi Salama (Radi Allahu Anhu):
I was a boy under the care of Beloved Prophet ﷺ and my hand used to go around the dish while I was eating. So Beloved Prophet ﷺ said to me, 'O boy! Mention the Name of Allah (i.e. Bismillah) and eat with your right hand, and eat of the dish what is nearer to you." Since then I have applied those instructions when eating. (Bukhari and Muslim)
♦ Do not eat very hot food or drinks
A Muslimah should not eat very hot food or drinks since beloved Prophet ﷺ has forbade it.
Jabir Bin Abdullah and Asma (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrate that beloved Prophet ﷺ said, "Cool your meal because there is no blessing in hot food. (Hakim and Abu Dawood)
♦ Do not blow on your food or drinks
It is not permitted and unethical to blow our breath into food or any drinks.
Abdullah Bin Abbas (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates the beloved Prophet ﷺ said, "Do not blow from your mouth into food and water." (Tabrani)
♦ Food has to be picked up:
While you are eating or once you finished eating, if any food had fallen on your table cloth, pick them up and eat. It is the sunnah of our Beloved Prophet ﷺ
Aisha Siddiqa (Radi Allahu Anha) narrates that beloved Prophet ﷺ entered the house and saw some fallen bread. He picked it up, wiped it, and ate it. Afterwards He said, "Aisha, respect good things. When this thing (bread) runs away from a nation it doesn't return." (Ibn Majah)
Abdullah Bin Umme Haraam (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates that beloved Prophet ﷺ said, "Respect bread. It is from the blessings of the skies and earth. Whoever eats fallen bread from the table cloth for him there is Maghfirah [salvation]. (Tabrani)
Aisha Siddiqa (Radi Allahu Anha) narrates that beloved Prophet ﷺ said, "Do not get up from food (Food Cloth / Mat) until food has been picked up" (Ibn Majah)
♦ Once you finished eating, thank Allah by reciting this Dua (supplication)
Dua to be recited after eating:
Alhamdulillahil-ladhi ath’amanaa wasakaanaa waja’alanaa min al muslimeen
All the praises to Allah who gave us food and drink and made us among muslims
Abu Saeed Khizri (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates that the beloved Prophet ﷺ used to recite " Alhamdulillahil-ladhi ath’amanaa wasakaanaa waja’alanaa min al muslimeen" after eating food. (Tirmidhi)
♦ Lick fingers and dish before washing the hands
Once you finished eating, you should lick your fingers properly and should wipe the dish the fingers and lick them as well.
Ka'ab Bin Malik (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates beloved Prophet ﷺ would eat with three fingers and before wiping would lick them with the tongue. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Jabir bin Abdullah (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates that beloved Prophet ﷺ said, "Lick the fingers and the dish. You don't know which part of meal has blessings." (Sahih Muslim)
Nobelsha (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates from beloved Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever, after eating will lick the dish, that dish will do Istighfar (salvation) for him. (Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad)
♦ Do not criticize the food
You should not criticize the food which was presented to you. If you like, eat it, don’t like, then leave it.
Abu Hurayrah (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrated that beloved Prophet ﷺ never criticized any food. If he liked it he would eat it and if he did not like it he would leave it. (Bukhari)
♦ Do not eat or drink in Gold and Silver vessels
It is prohibited to eat and drink in gold and silver plates or vessels. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ said: “Do not wear silk or brocade, and do not drink from vessels of gold and silver, or eat from plates thereof. They are for them in this world and for us in the Hereafter.” (Bukhari)
ETIQUETTES AND MANNERS OF DRINKING
♦ Sit and drink
It is sunnah of our beloved Prophet ﷺ to sit and drink.
Anas (Radi Allahu Anhu) reported beloved Prophet ﷺ disapproved the drinking of water while standing. (Muslim)
♦ Take the cup in your right hand and drink
Abdullah Bin Umar (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates that Beloved Prophet ﷺ said: "When one eats then he should eat with the right hand and when one drinks then he should drink with the right hand. (Bukhari & Muslim)
♦ Say Bismillah before drinking
♦ Do not drink in one gulp. Drink in three gulps.
♦ Say Alhamdulillah after drinking
Beloved Prophet ﷺ 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)." (Tirmidhi)
♦ Do not breath inside the vessels while drinking
Abu Qatadah (Radi Allahu Anhu) reported:
The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade breathing into the vessel while drinking (Bukhari, Muslim)
♦ Do not drink in gold or silver vessels
Our beloved Prophet ﷺ said: “Do not wear silk or brocade, and do not drink from vessels of gold and silver, or eat from plates thereof. They are for them in this world and for us in the Hereafter.” (Bukhari)
