EATING HABITS & DIET OF THE PROPHET (SAWS)

amirah80

*Fear Allah*
:salam2:



Praise be to Allaah.

The Prophet’s guidance with regard to food is perfect guidance. It was described by Ibn al-Qayyim as follows:

When he put his hand in the food, he would say, “Bismillaah (in the Name of Allaah), and he told people to say this when eating. He 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, let him say Bismillaahi fi awwalihi wa aakhirihi (in the name of Allaah at its beginning and at its end).” Saheeh hadeeth, narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1859) and Abu Dawood (3767).

The correct view is that it is obligatory to mention the name of Allaah (say Bismillaah) when eating. The ahaadeeth which state this are saheeh and are clear, with no contradictions in them.

When he raised the food to his mouth, he would say, “Al-hamdu Lillaahi hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan fihi ghayri makfiyyin wa laa muwadda’ wa laa mustaghni ‘anhu Rabbanaa ‘azza wa jall (Allaah be praised with an abundant, beautiful, blessed praise. He is the One Who is Sufficient, Who feeds and is never fed, The One Who is longed for, along with that which is with Him, and the One Who is needed. He is Our Lord, may He be glorified). Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5142).

He never criticized food at all. If he liked it, he would eat it, and if he did not like it, he would leave it and not say anything. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3370) and Muslim (2064).

Or he would say, “I do not feel like eating this.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5076) and Muslim (1946).

Sometimes he would praise the food, as when he asked his family for food, and they said, “We have nothing but vinegar.” He asked for it and started to eat it, saying, “What a good food is vinegar.” Narrated by Muslim (2052)

He used to talk whilst he was eating, as is seen from the report quoted above about vinegar.

And he said to his step-son ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah when he was eating with him: “Say Bismillaah and eat from that which is in front of you in the dish*.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5061) and Muslim (2022). [* At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), people used to eat together from one dish, and children would sometimes forget the correct etiquette. - Translator]

He would repeatedly urge his guests to eat, as generous hosts do, and as is seen in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, narrated by al-Bukhaari, about the story of drinking milk, where he repeatedly said to him, “Drink!” and he kept telling him to drink until he (the guest) said, “By the One Who sent you with the truth, I have no more room for it!” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6087).

When he ate with others, he would not leave until he had made du’aa’ for them. He made du’aa in the house of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Bisr, and said: “O Allaah, bless for them that which You have provided for them, forgive them and have mercy on them.” Narrated by Muslim (2042).

He commanded people to eat with their right hands and forbade them to eat with their left hands. He said, “The Shaytaan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.” Narrated by Muslim (2020). This implies that eating with the left hand is haraam, and this is the correct view, because the one who eats with his left hand is either a shaytaan (a devil), or he is imitating the Shaytaan.

It was also reported in a saheeh hadeeth that he told a man who was eating with his left hand in his presence, “Eat with your right hand!” The man said, “I cannot.” He said, “May you never be able to!” – and the man never lifted his right hand to his mouth after that. Narrated by Muslim (2021). If it was permissible (to eat with the left hand), he would not have prayed against him for doing so. It was the man’s stubborn arrogance that made him refuse to obey the command, and this is the utmost disobedience which deserved this prayer against him.

He commanded those who complained that they never felt full to eat together and not separately, and to mention the name of Allaah (say Bismillaah) over the food so that He might bless it for them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (3764) and Ibn Maajah (3286).

(See Zaad al-Ma’aad, 2/397-406)

It was also reported that he said, “I do not eat reclining.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5083.

He used to eat using the first three fingers (of his right hand), which is the best way of eating.

See: Zaad al-Ma’aad, 220-222. And Allaah knows best.

The Prophet’s guidance regarding diet:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to know what he was eating.

He used to eat what was good for him.

He used to eat enough to keep him going, but no so much as to make him fat. Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The believer eats in one stomach whilst the kaafir eats in seven.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5081) and Muslim (2060).

He taught his ummah something to protect them from diseases caused by eating and drinking. He said: “The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1381), Ibn Maajah (3349); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (2265).

And Allaah knows best.

IQA Fatwa 6503
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid


Salam
Sister Amirah80
 

amirah80

*Fear Allah*
:salam2:

If you are left handed you must still eat with the right hand. At first it will be difficult because you are not use to it but when you train the right hand it will become easy for you inshallah. The only way you can use the left hand to eat is if you do not have a right hand or if it is not functional.
And Allah Knows Best
Salam
Amirah80
 

Allahu_Hassbi

Junior Member
:salam2:

If you are left handed you must still eat with the right hand. At first it will be difficult because you are not use to it but when you train the right hand it will become easy for you inshallah. The only way you can use the left hand to eat is if you do not have a right hand or if it is not functional.
And Allah Knows Best
Salam
Amirah80

I agree with you sister.
I am left handed & used to eat with my left hand but gave up long ago with the will of Allah Alhamdullilah.It was difficult at the begining but not that i can say.Its easy to give up unless only you don't want to be among the Shayateens.


Prophet Muhammed (SAW) commanded people to eat with their right hands and forbade them to eat with their left hands. He said, “The Shaytaan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.”
 

Muhammad_A

Penguin fancier
Actually if you're left handed and Western it's easier to eat in the prescribed way since the fork will be held in the right hand (right handers, like me hold the knife in the right).

And don't tell me the Prophet (salli allahu alayi wa salaam) banned forks. They didn't exist in his day.
 

amirah80

*Fear Allah*
Actually if you're left handed and Western it's easier to eat in the prescribed way since the fork will be held in the right hand (right handers, like me hold the knife in the right).

And don't tell me the Prophet (salli allahu alayi wa salaam) banned forks. They didn't exist in his day.

Salam

No forks are not banned LOL I posted for daleel. Daleel for eating with 3 fingers from the right hand and that it is ok to use utensils if you think your going to drop the food.


Eating with three fingers. The Sunnah is to eat with three fingers; eating with more than three fingers is a sign of greed and is bad manners, 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.

See Fath al-Baari, 9/578
This applies if a person is eating with his hand. But there is nothing wrong with using a spoon etc, as we shall see below.

Eating a piece of food that falls on the floor. 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). Fatwa 13348 IQA
 

Zainudin Jaffar

Strive to be Mukmin
Eating the way of sunnah

:salam2:

Thank you for this great post

I must admit I'm waaaaaaaay behind on this sunnah

May Allah make it easier for me, ameen

Wassalam
 
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