Sunnahs of Eating

Sunnahs of Eating,by powersunisaifi

A few Hadiths on the Sunnah of eating.

Enquire About Your Food

Hazrat‘Abu Bakr (may ALLAH be pleased with him) had a slave who would give ‘Abu Bakr (may ALLAH be pleased with him) a portion of his daily income as the master’s share. Once he bought him some food, and ‘Abu Bakr (may ALLAH be pleased with him) took a morsel out of it. Then the slave remarked: ‘You always enquire about the source of what I bring to you, but today you have not done so.’
He replied: ‘I was feeling so hungry that I failed to do that. Tell me now, how did you come by this food”
The slave said: ‘Before I embraced Islam, I practised fortune-telling.

During those days I came across some people who I would practice some charms for. They promised to pay me later on, I met them and they were in a marriage ceremony, and they gave me this food.’
‘Abu Bakr (may ALLAH be pleased with him) said, ‘Achh! You would have killed me!’ he tried to vomit the food, but could not as his stomach was empty.

Someone suggested drinking water to the full and trying to vomit it. Somebody remarked ‘May ALLAH (The Exalted) have mercy on you! You put yourself to such trouble for one single morsel.’ He replied that ‘I would have thrust it out even if I had to lose my life. I have heard the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) say that the flesh nourished by haraam (strictly forbidden) food is destined for the fire of Hell. I therefore made haste to vomit this morsel, lest any portion of my body should receive nourishment from it.’

ALLAHu Akbar! We should make sure that our food is from lawful sources. Making sure the work we do is lawful, the food is lawful etc. if not then our supplications will not be accepted, nor our Salaah. Imam Ghazali (may ALLAH’s mercy be upon him) writes in Ihya ul uloom from a pious person that, When a Muslim eats the first morsel of lawful food, his previous sins are forgiven. SubhanALLAH!

Hazrat‘Abu Hurayrah (RA) And Hunger

Once, ‘Abu Hurayrah (may ALLAH be pleased with him) after wiping his nose with a piece of fine linen remarked to himself ‘Look at ‘Abu Hurayrah! He cleans his nose with fine linen, today. I remember the time when he would lie down between the pulpit and the Prophet’s (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) house. People took him to be suffering from epilepsy and put their feet on his neck. But there was no other illness with him, other than spasms of hunger.’

Hazrat-e-Anas (may ALLAH be pleased with him) reports that, ‘I asked the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) pray to ALLAH (The Exalted) that he make me mustajab ad-da’waat (someone whose prayers are always accepted). The Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) replied, ‘O Anas (may ALLAH be pleased with him) make sure your earnings are lawful, ALLAH (The Exalted) will accept your prayers. A person eats a morsel of unlawful and his prayers are not accepted for forty days.”

Washing The Hands

Hazrat‘Abd-Allah (may ALLAH be pleased with him) narrates the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) saying ‘Before and after eating perform ablution as it banishes poverty and is the practises of the Prophets (upon them all be peace).’
This means to wash the hands and rinse the mouth and not to perform ablution as one would do for Salaah.

Eating Whilst Seated On The Floor Is Sunnah

Hazrat Qataada (may ALLAH be pleased with him) states that, ‘The Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) would eat his food from a mat (laid out on the floor).’

How To Sit

The Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) used to often squat down on his knees and sit on his heels for the meal. At other times he would raise this right leg and sit on his left. He used to say, ‘I do not eat when reclining ‘ for I am but a slave, I eat as a slave eats and sit as a slave sits.’

The first principle of the law of Islam is that nothing can compare with any habit or act of the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace). Anyone who does not believe this should beware; for ALLAH (The Exalted) has stated that He does not favour those who disbelieve. Everything else can be open to criticism but not the Qur’an or the Sunnah. Wherever we are in the world when the time comes to eat, the food should be arranged on the floor on a mat and we should sit and partake of it from there. In many of our homes today this beautiful Sunnah has been neglected.

 Muslims are sitting on chairs and tables moving away from the Sunnah. Islam is simple but we have made it complicated. To sit on a table is an innovation as it is contrary to the Sunnah.

Covering The Head

The Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) would always cover his head when eating and he would wash both hands up to the wrist. The Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) sat on the floor at the side of a mat and ate with three fingers of his right hand. The three fingers include the thumb, index, and the middle finger and he would start with‘Bismillah’ and in between three morsels our master (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) would say ‘Bismillah’ and say‘Alhamdulillah.’

Recite Bismillah For Blessing

Hazrat Wahshi bin Harmat (may ALLAH be pleased with him) narrates from the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) that, ‘Eat together and recite ‘Bismillah’, there will be blessings for you in this.’

Food Becomes Lawful For Devil

Hazrat Hudhayfa (may ALLAH be pleased with him) said that, ‘He who does not recite ‘Bismillah’ before eating, that food becomes lawful for the devil.’

Eat together for blessing

The people said, ”O Prophet of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) we eat but are not satisfied,’ The Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘You may be eating separately,’ they said, ‘Yes,’ the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘Eat together and recite ‘Bismillah’ there will be blessing.’

People have become very busy in their lifestyle and need to understand that it is the Sunnah to sit together and eat. Love and blessings will increase in the family, Insha-ALLAH! Not reciting ‘Bismillah’ is a means of loosing out on the blessings.

Shaytan Partakes

Ummayya bin Makhshi (may ALLAH be pleased with him) narrates that, ‘A person was eating without reciting ‘Bismillah’ and just before he had finished and had one morsel left he recited ‘Bismillahi Awwalahu Wa Aakhirahu’, the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) smiled and said, ‘The Shaytan was eating with him, when he recited the name of ALLAH (The Exalted) whatever was in his stomach he vomited it out.’
If ever we forget to recite ‘Bismillah’ then recite the supplication which has been mentioned above and Insha-ALLAH the Shaytan will not take part in the food and will be full of blessings.

Use The Right Hand

Hazrat ‘Abu Hurayrah (may ALLAH be pleased with him) narrates the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) states, ‘Eat with the right hand and drink with the right hand and take with the right hand and give with the right hand. This is because the devil eats with the left hand and drinks with the left hand and gives with the left hand and takes with the left hand.’

Hazrat Salmah bin Aku’ (may ALLAH be pleased with him) narrates that, ‘A person was eating with his left hand in the presence of the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace). The Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) said that, ‘Eat with the right hand.’ He said, ‘I can’t eat with my right hand.’ The Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘May your right hand not be used.’
Because of arrogance the person did not use his right hand and since that day he could not lift his right hand to his mouth.

Eat With Three Fingers

Hazrat ‘Abu Hurayrah (may ALLAH be pleased with him) narrates the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) said that, ‘To eat with three fingers is the practice of the Prophets (Peace be upon them).’

Hazrat Ibn ‘Abbas (may ALLAH be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) said that, ‘Eat with three fingers as it is Sunnah and do not eat with five fingers as this is the way of the bedouins.’

Try to eat with three fingers, however, at times some foods do not allow you to do so, then eat with five as a last resort.
Hazrat Ka’ab bin Malik (may ALLAH be pleased with him) narrates that, ‘The Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) ate with three fingers and before wiping his hands he licked them.’
Abu Hurayrah (may ALLAH be pleased with him) narrates that, ‘To eat with one finger is the way of Shaytan, to eat with two is the way of the arrogant and with three is the way of the Prophets (upon them all be peace).’

Food which can not be eaten with the fingers such as soup etc. can be eaten with a spoon, however, we should try and eat with our fingers and follow the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) in foods that can be eaten with fingers.

No Accounting

Hazrat Hasan Basri (may ALLAH be pleased with him) states that, ‘Whatever a person eats and drinks and feeds his mother and father, will be accounted for, except for food eaten with friends.’
SubhanALLAH! We learn that to have food with friends is a greatly rewarded act and love will increase between the Muslim communities.

Wasting Food

Hazrat-e-‘Aisha (may ALLAH be pleased with her) states that, ‘I came to the Messenger of ALLAH’s (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) house, I saw a piece of bred, he picked it up wiped it and ate it and said, ”Aisha (may ALLAH be pleased with her) appreciate good things, once this (bread) has left (taken away) it has not returned.’

Respected brother/sister of Islam! Today we see in weddings and in other functions that we take more food than required and leave food in our plates, which will inevitably be thrown away. This is a sinful act and we will have to answer for it on the Day of Resurrection. We should take only small amounts of food and if we require more, we can always take more later. Always keep in your mind to clean the plates, save yourselves from sin, and fulfil the Sunnah of the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace).

Leaving Food For Shaytan

Ma’qal bin Yasaar (may ALLAH be pleased with him) was eating when a morsel fell from his hand. He picked it up, cleaned it and ate it. The bedouins indicated with there eyes (what a low graded act), someone remark ‘May ALLAH (The Exalted) favour our leader as some people are indicating that you have all this food present and you pick the food that has dropped.’

Ma’qal bin Yasaar (may ALLAH be pleased with him) said, ‘Because of the Bedouins I will not leave that which I have heard from the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace). As we were ordered to pick up the morsel that has dropped and not to leave it for the Shaytan.’

No matter who is present do not feel ashamed in following the Sunnah, your love for the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) will increase and ALLAH (The Exalted) will reward you for not wasting too.
Once ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar (may ALLAH be pleased with him) saw a piece of bread on the floor and said to his slave, ‘Clean it and save it.’ At the time of opening the fast he asked for it and the slave said, ‘I have eaten it.” Go you are free as I have heard the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) saying, ‘Whoever picks up and eats a piece of bread from the floor, before it reaches the stomach ALLAH (The Exalted) forgives the person. Now that the person is forgiven, how can I keep him as a slave” said ibn ‘Umar (may ALLAH be pleased with him)

The Plate Makes Supplication

It is mentioned in the hadith that the plate and other vessels which are wiped and licked using fingers, pray for the person doing this and say; ‘May ALLAH (The Exalted) free you from the Hell fire the way you have freed me from the devil.’ Another version of the hadith says, the plates ask for your forgiveness. SubhanALLAH!

Supplication Before Eating

‘Bismillahi Wa-’Ala Baraka Tillah’
‘ALLAH’s (The Exalted) name I begin with, and with the blessings of ALLAH (The Exalted)’

Nothing Will Affect You

Hazrat Anas (may ALLAH be pleased with him) states that ‘When you pray this supplication, you will have no illness (nor be affected by anything):
‘Bis-mil-lahi Wa Bil ‘la-hil La-dhi Laa Ya-durru Ma ‘As-mihi Shai-un Fil-ardi Wa-la-fis Samaa-i Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyoom’
ALLAH, the name I begin with, and ALLAH is He whose name nothing on earth nor in the heavens can cause harm. O the everlasting, O the self existent..’

If You Forget To Recite

Hazrat-e-‘Aisha (may ALLAH be pleased with her) narrates from the Messenger of ALLAH (may ALLAH bless him and grant him peace) that ‘Whoever eats food, remember ALLAH (The Exalted) meaning recite ‘Bismillah’ and if in the beginning you forget to pray ‘Bismillah’ then pray the following:
‘Bimillahi Fi Awwalihi Wa-aakhirihi’
‘ALLAH’s name I begin with at the beginning and end of it.’
One can also pray ‘Awwalahu’ and ‘Wa-aakhiraha’
Not reciting ‘Bismillah,’ the devil has an opportunity to partake in the food.

WA SALAAM POWERSUNISAIFI

19-2-13