Etiquette of Dining in Islam
Islam provides elevated guidelines for food and drink, emphasizing the importance of adhering to these practices to ensure blessings in both. Below, we outline the prophetic traditions that highlight the etiquette surrounding food before, during, and after the meal.
Etiquettes Before the Meal
Among the significant hadiths encouraging the practice of saying the name of Allah before eating are:
- Reciting “Bismillah”: Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When a man enters his home and remembers Allah upon entering and before his meal, the devil says: ‘You have no place to sleep and no dinner.’ However, if he enters and does not remember Allah, the devil responds: ‘You have found a place to sleep and dinner.'”
- According to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet (peace be upon him) was eating with six of his companions when a Bedouin came and finished the meal in two bites. The Prophet (peace be upon him) remarked: “If he had said Bismillah, it would have sufficed you all. Therefore, if one of you eats, he should say Bismillah. If he forgets to say it at the beginning, he should say Bismillah at the beginning and at the end of the meal.”
Etiquettes During the Meal
The following hadiths highlight the courtesies to observe while dining:
- Eating with the right hand: This is upheld in the following narrations:
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When one of you eats, he should eat with his right hand. When he drinks, he should drink with his right hand, for the devil eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.”
- Omar ibn Abi Salama (may Allah be pleased with him) stated: “I was a boy under the care of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and my hand would wander across the plate. He said to me: ‘O boy! Mention the name of Allah and eat with your right hand, and eat from what is closest to you.’
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) also advised: “Everyone should eat with his right hand, drink with his right hand, take with his right hand, and give with his right hand, for the devil eats with his left hand, drinks with his left hand, takes with his left hand, and gives with his left hand.”
- Gathering for meals: The companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) expressed: “O Messenger of Allah, we eat but never feel full.” He replied: “Perhaps you eat separately.” They said: “Yes.” He responded: “Gather for your meals and mention Allah’s name over it, and it will be blessed for you.”
- Moderation in consumption: This is depicted in the following sayings:
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated: “No human being fills a vessel worse than his stomach. It suffices for the son of Adam to consume a few mouthfuls to keep his back straight. If one must eat, let him allocate one-third for food, one-third for drink, and one-third for breathing.”
- Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was known to say: “I do not eat until a poor person eats with me.” I once brought a man to eat with him, and after he ate a lot, he remarked: “O Nafi! Do not bring him to me again, for I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: ‘The believer eats from one intestine, while the disbeliever eats from seven intestines.’
Etiquettes After the Meal
It is sunnah to praise Allah after completing a meal. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned: “Allah is pleased with His servant who eats a meal and praises Him for it, or drinks a drink and thanks Him for it.” When the Prophet (peace be upon him) finished his meal, he would say: “All praise is due to Allah, abundantly, good and blessed, not insufficient, not rejected and not independent of Him, our Lord.” In another narration, he would say: “All praise is due to Allah, our Lord, not insufficient, not rejected, and not independent of Him, our Lord.”