Series on The Etiquette of Eating

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*Series on The Etiquette 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).