Complete Series on The Etiquettes of Eating

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*Complete Series on The Etiquettes of Eating*

*Episode 1*

Washing the hands before eating. The hands should be washed before eating, so that they may be clean when a person eats with them, and so that he will not be harmed by any dirt that may be on them. 

[al-Adaab by al-Shalhoob, p. 155]

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 2*

Part of the etiquette of eating is to ask about the food if you are a guest and you do not know what it is (i.e., what type of food it is), and you are not sure about what has been offered to you. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used not to eat food until he had been told about it or told what is was called, so that he would know what it was.

[Fath al-Baari, 9/534 ]

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 3*

Hastening to eat when food is brought by the host. Part of honouring one's guest is to hasten to offer him something, and part of the guest’s honouring the host is to hasten to accept his food and eat from it. If the host sees the guest not eating, he may think badly of him. So the guest has to reassure his host by hastening to eat his food, because that will reassure him.

[al-Adaab by al-Shalhoob, p. 155]

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 4*

It is obligatory to mention the name of Allaah before eating. What is meant by that is saying “Bismillaah (in the name of Allaah)” when starting to eat. It was narrated from Umm Kalthoom from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When any one of you eats, let him mention the name of Allaah. If he forgets to mention the name of Allaah at the beginning, then let him say ‘Bismillaahi awwalahu wa aakhirahu (In the name of Allaah at the beginning and at the end).’” 

[Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1858]

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 5*

Eat what is directly in front of you; Umar ibn Abi Salamah said: I was a young boy in the care of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and my hand used to wander all over the platter (of food). The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me, “O young boy, say Bismillaah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is directly in front of you.” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5376; Muslim, 2022).

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 6*

It is obligatory for the Muslim to eat with his right hand; he should not eat with his left hand. It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (r.a) that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “No one among you should eat with his left hand, or drink with it, for the Shaytān eats with his left hand and drinks with it.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2020).

PS: This applies so long as there is no excuse; if a person has an excuse for not eating and drinking with his right hand, such as sickness or injury etc., then there is nothing wrong with his eating with his left hand. The hadeeth indicates that a person should avoid doing actions that resemble the actions of the Shaytān.

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating* 

*Episode 7*

Washing the hands after eating. The Sunnah may be done by washing with water only. Ibn Raslaan said: But it is better to wash the hands with potash or soap or something similar.

[Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 5/485]

*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 8*

It is mustahabb to rinse the mouth after eating when one is in state of wudoo’. Basheer ibn Yassaar narrated that Suwayd ibn al-Nu’maan told him that they were with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in al-Sahba’ – which is some distance from Khaybar – and the time for prayer came. He called for food, but he did not find anything but some saweeq (barley mush). So he ate some and we all ate with him. Then he called for water and rinsed out his mouth, and then he prayed, and we prayed, and he did not repeat his wudoo’.

 (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5390).

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 9*

Praying for one's host: Anas (r.a) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah who brought him some bread and oil, and he ate. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “May fasting people break their fast with you, may the righteous eat your food, and may the angels send blessings upon you.” 

(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3854; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, 3263).

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 10*

Eating with three fingers; The Sunnah is to eat with three fingers; eating with more than three fingers is a sign of greed and bad manners according to the fuqahā, because there is no need for more than three in order to gather up a morsel. If it is necessary to use more than three, because the food is light and cannot be gathered in three fingers, then he may use the fourth or fifth.

This applies if a person is eating with his hand. But there is nothing wrong with using a spoon etc. 

[Fath al-Baari, 9/578 ]

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 11*

 If a piece of food falls on the floor, then the person eating should remove any dirt that gets onto it and eat it; he should not leave it for the Shaytaan, because he does not know where the blessing is in his food; it may be in the piece that fell, and leaving it makes a person miss out on the blessing of the food. Anas ibn Maalik narrated that when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ate, he would lick his three fingers. Anas said: “And he said, ‘If any one of you drops a piece of food, let him remove any dirt from it and eat it, and not leave it for the Shaytaan.’ And he commanded us to clean the plate, and said, ‘For you do not know where in your food the blessing is.’” 

(Narrated by Muslim, 2034).

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 12*

Do not eat whilst reclining. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I do not eat whilst I am reclining.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5399). The scholars differed as to what reclining meant. Ibn Hajar said: It was said that it means being too comfortable in sitting to eat in whatever manner; or that it meant leaning on one side; or that it meant resting with one’s left arm on the ground. And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best.

[Fath al-Baari, 9/541]

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 13*

The etiquette of eating also includes: eating with a group; not speaking about haraam things whilst eating; eating with one's wives and children; not keeping a particular food to oneself unless there is a reason for that, such as it being for medicinal purposes – rather one should offer the best food to others first, such as piece of meat and soft or good bread. If the guest has had enough and stops eating, his host should say, “Eat!” and repeat it, so long as he does not think that his guest has had enough, but he should not repeat it more than three times. He should clean between his teeth and not swallow any bits of food that come out from between his teeth. 

[al-Adaab by al-Shalhoob, p. 155]

*Series on The Etiquette of Eating* 

*Episode 14*

It is Sunnah to say the words of praise to Allaah and Du'ā after one has finished eating. When he had finished eating, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, “Al-hamdu Lillaahi hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan fihi ghayra makfiyyin wa lā muwadda’in wa lā mustaghnan ‘anhu rabbana (Praise be to Allaah, much good and blessed praise. O our Lord, You are not in need of anyone, and we cannot do without Your favour nor dispense with it).” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5458).

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating* 

*Episode 15*

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever is fed by Allaah, let him say, ‘Allaahumma baarik lana fihi, wa at’imna khayran minhu (O Allaah, bless it for us and feed us with better than it).’ And whoever is given milk to drink by Allaah, let him say, ‘Allaahumma baarik lana fihi wa zidna minhu (O Allaah, bless it for us and give us more)’.”

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3455).

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating* 

*Episode 16*

Do not criticize or insult the food. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never criticized any food. If he liked it he would eat it and if he did not like it he would leave it.

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3370; Muslim, 2046)

What is referred to here is permissible food; as for haraam food he would criticize it and forbid it. 

[Sharh Muslim, 14/26]

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 17*

Part of the etiquette of eating is moderation in eating and not filling the stomach. The most that a Muslim is permitted to do in this regard is to divide his stomach into three thirds: one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air. “A man does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat enough to keep him alive. But if he must do that, then one-third for his food, one-third for his drink and one-third for his air.” 

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2380; Ibn Maajah, 3349).

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 18*

Avoiding eating and drinking from vessels of gold and silver, because that is haraam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 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.” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5426; Muslim, 2067)

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*Series on The Etiquette of Eating*

*Episode 19 [Final Episode]*

Praising Allaah after finishing eating. There is a great deal of virtue in this. It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah is pleased with His slave when he eats something and praises Him for it, or drinks something and praises Him for it.” 

(narrated by Muslim, 2734).

May Allāh (Sub-haanahu wata'aala) guide us. Ameen