FOOD AND PRAYER. Permissibility to Eat and then Pray

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*FOOD AND PRAYER*

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*Permissibility to Eat and then Pray*

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⁣Narrated Nafi:

Ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه) said, "Allaah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

_*'If the supper is served for anyone of you and the Iqama is pronounced, start with the supper and don't be in haste (and carry on eating) till you finish it."*_

If food was served for Ibn Umar and Iqama was pronounced, he never came to the prayer till he finished it (i.e. food) in spite of the fact that he heard the recitation (of the Qur'an) by the Imam (in the prayer).

*[Sahih Bukhari 673]*

Abū Al-Dardā’ (رضي الله عنه) said:⁣

_“It is from a person’s knowledge and understanding that he sees to his needs first in order to turn to his prayer with a heart free of distractions.”⁣_

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*[Ibn Al-Mubārak in Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā’iq Vol.2 p726]⁣*

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Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (The Permanent Committee For Research and Verdicts) says:

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_With regard to the ahadeeth, *“There is no prayer in the presence of food or when resisting the urge to relieve oneself”* and *“If ‘Isha’ and dinner come at the same time, start with dinner,”* and similar reports, what is meant is if a person is offered food or if he comes to eat, then he should start with the food before praying, so that he can pray without his mind being focused on the food and his prayer then will be offered with proper focus and humility. But he should not ask for food to be brought before praying if that means that he will miss out on offering the prayer at the beginning of its time or praying in congregation._

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*[Al-Majmoo’ ah al-Thaaniyyah, 9/32]⁣*

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Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (رحمه الله) said:

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_“When dinner is served, one obviously desires to eat, and were he to pray before eating that meal, his mind would be occupied in his abandoned meal, a state of mind that takes away from humility and concentration during prayer. For this reason the Prophet (ﷺ) said,⁣_

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_*"There is no prayer when food is served, and there is no prayer when one is fighting off the two impurities (i.e., when one has to urinate or defecate)."⁣*_

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_But it is necessary to mention here that one should avoid the habit of always having dinner at the time for prayer, because this will result in not praying in congregation.” ⁣_

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*[Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 7, Page 165]*

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