Chapters on Food

"‏ أُرِيدُ الصَّلاَةَ ‏"

“O Messenger of Allah, are you not going to perform ablution?” He said: ‘Am I going to pray?’

"‏ لاَ آكُلُ مُتَّكِئًا ‏"

“I do not eat while reclining.”

"‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَعَلَنِي عَبْدًا كَرِيمًا وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا عَنِيدًا ‏"

“I gave the Prophet (ﷺ) a gift of a sheep, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat on his knees to eat. A Bedouin said: ‘What is this sitting?’ He said: ‘Allah has made me a humble and generous slave (of Allah) and has not made me arrogant and stubborn.’”

"‏ أَمَا أَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ قَالَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ لَكَفَاكُمْ فَإِذَا أَكَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ طَعَامًا فَلْيَقُلْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ نَسِيَ أَنْ يَقُولَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ فِي أَوَّلِهِ فَلْيَقُلْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ فِي أَوَّلِهِ وَآخِرِهِ ‏"

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was eating food with six of his Companions when a Bedouin came and ate it all in two bites. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘If he had said Bismillah, it would have sufficed you (all). When any one of you eats food, let him say Bismillah, and if he forgets to say Bismillah at the beginning, let him say Bismillah fi awwalihi wa akhirih (In the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end).’”

"‏ سَمِّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ‏"

“The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, when I was eating: ‘Say the Name of Allah, the Glorified and Exalted.’”

"‏ لِيَأْكُلْ أَحَدُكُمْ بِيَمِينِهِ وَلْيَشْرَبْ بِيَمِينِهِ وَلْيَأْخُذْ بِيَمِينِهِ وَلْيُعْطِ بِيَمِينِهِ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَأْكُلُ بِشِمَالِهِ وَيَشْرَبُ بِشِمَالِهِ وَيُعْطِي بِشِمَالِهِ وَيَأْخُذُ بِشِمَالِهِ ‏"

“Let one of you eat with his right hand and drink with his right hand, and take with his right hand and give with his right hand, for Satan eats with his left hand, drinks with his left hand, gives with his left hand and takes with his left hand.”

"‏ يَا غُلاَمُ سَمِّ اللَّهَ وَكُلْ بِيَمِينِكَ وَكُلْ مِمَّا يَلِيكَ ‏"

“I was a boy in the care of the Prophet (ﷺ) and my hand used to wander all over the plate. He said to me: ‘O boy! Say the Name of Allah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is in front of you.’”

"‏ لاَ تَأْكُلُوا بِالشِّمَالِ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَأْكُلُ بِالشِّمَالِ ‏"

“Do not eat with your left hand, for Satan eats with his left hand.”

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ الْعَدَنِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِذَا أَكَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ طَعَامًا فَلاَ يَمْسَحْ يَدَهُ حَتَّى يَلْعَقَهَا أَوْ يُلْعِقَهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ، يَسْأَلُ عَمْرَو بْنَ دِينَارٍ أَرَأَيْتَ حَدِيثَ عَطَاءٍ ‏"‏ لاَ يَمْسَحْ أَحَدُكُمْ يَدَهُ حَتَّى يَلْعَقَهَا أَوْ يُلْعِقَهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ عَمَّنْ هُوَ قَالَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَإِنَّهُ حُدِّثْنَاهُ عَنْ جَابِرٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ حَفِظْنَاهُ مِنْ عَطَاءٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقْدَمَ جَابِرٌ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّمَا لَقِيَ عَطَاءٌ جَابِرًا فِي سَنَةٍ جَاوَرَ فِيهَا بِمَكَّةَ ‏.‏

“When one of you eats food, let him not wipe his hand until he has licked it or has someone else to lick it.”

"‏ لاَ يَمْسَحْ أَحَدُكُمْ يَدَهُ حَتَّى يَلْعَقَهَا فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَدْرِي فِي أَىِّ طَعَامِهِ الْبَرَكَةُ ‏"

“None of you should wipe his hand until he has licked it, for he does not know where the blessing if in his food.’”