Hadiths on Mentioning Allah’s Name Before Eating
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) conveyed numerous teachings that encourage Muslims to mention Allah’s name before consuming food. Some of these hadiths include:
- Aisha, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was eating with six of his companions when a bedouin came and ate in two bites. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘If he had said, “Bismillah” (In the name of Allah), it would have sufficed you. So, when any of you eats, let him say “Bismillah.” If he forgets to say it at the beginning, let him say it at the end of the meal.’
- Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘When a man enters his house and remembers Allah upon entering and at his meal, the devil says: “You have no place to sleep, nor dinner.” But if he enters and does not remember Allah upon entering, the devil says: “You have found a place to sleep, and you have dinner.”‘.”
Hadiths on Eating with the Right Hand
There are several hadiths from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that promote the practice of eating with the right hand, such as:
- Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘Let one of you 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.’
- It was narrated by Umar ibn Abi Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “I was a young boy in the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) lap, and my hand was not steady in the dish. The Prophet said: ‘O young man, mention the name of Allah, eat with your right hand, and eat what is in front of you.’
Hadiths on the Dislike of Breathing into the Drinking Vessel
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also shared many hadiths indicating the dislike of breathing into a vessel while drinking. Some of these hadiths are as follows:
- Abu Qatada Al-Harith ibn Rabi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade breathing into the drinking vessel.”
- Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘When one of you drinks, let him not breathe into the vessel. If he needs to breathe, let him remove the vessel and then drink anew if he wishes.’
Hadiths on Licking Fingers After Eating
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) provided guidance regarding the practice of licking one’s fingers after eating, including:
- Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘Let none of you wipe his hand until he has licked it, for he does not know in which part of the food the blessing lies.’
- Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘When one of you eats food, let him not wipe his hand until he licks it or has it licked.’
Hadiths on Etiquette of Communal Dining
There are several hadiths from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) concerning the etiquette of communal meals, including:
- Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) stated: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘When one of you eats food, let him not take from the top of the dish, but let him eat from its bottom, for the blessing descends upon the top.’.”
- Wahshi ibn Harb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, we eat but are not satisfied!’ He replied: ‘Perhaps you are scattering yourselves? They said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Gather at your meal and mention the name of Allah upon it, and it will be blessed for you.’
Hadiths on Moderation in Eating
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized moderation in eating through various hadiths, including:
- Al-Miqdad ibn Al-Aswad (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘No human fills a container worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few bites to keep his back straight. If he must eat, let him fill one-third with food, one-third with drink, and keep one-third for his breath.’
- Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was known to say: “He would not eat until a poor person was brought to eat with him. I once brought a man to eat with him, and he ate a lot. Ibn Umar then remarked: ‘O Nafi! Do not bring this man to me, for I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: “The believer eats from one intestine, while the disbeliever eats from seven.”‘