Dining Etiquette
Food and drink are significant blessings from Allah Almighty to humanity. Numerous etiquettes regarding dining are mentioned in the Holy Quran and the honorable Sunnah. These include washing hands before meals, reciting the name of Allah before eating, using the right hand unless there is a valid excuse, eating from what is directly in front of oneself, avoiding excessive consumption, thanking Allah after meals, making supplications, rinsing the mouth, washing hands, and refraining from criticizing food.
The Prophet’s Guidelines on Eating
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) serves as a model in all aspects of life, including dining etiquette. Many hadiths elucidate his manners in this regard, including:
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “When one of you eats, let him say Bismillah. If he forgets at the beginning, he should say Bismillah at the end.”
- It was narrated by Umar ibn Abi Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said, “I was a young boy under the care of the Messenger of Allah. My hand would go all over the plate, and the Messenger of Allah said to me: ‘O boy, mention the name of Allah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is in front of you.’
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “When a man enters his house and remembers Allah at his entrance and during his meal, the devil says: ‘You have no place to stay and no dinner.’ But if he does not mention Allah upon entering, the devil replies: ‘You have secured a place to stay and dinner.’
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) emphasized, “When one of you eats, he should eat with his right hand and drink with his right hand, for indeed the devil eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.”
- The Prophet also recommended, “When one of you eats, do not eat from the top of the dish, but from the bottom, for blessings descend from the top.”
- He further stated, “Blessings descend in the center of food, so eat from its edges and do not eat from its center.”
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) added, “If a morsel of food falls from one of you, let him remove any dirt from it and eat it, and not leave it for the devil.”
- It has been reported by Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would say after finishing his meal: “All praise is due to Allah, who has fed us and quenched our thirst and made us Muslims.”
- Abu Umamah Al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would say after raising the table: “All praise is for Allah, abundant, good, and blessed therein; not sufficient nor abandoned, nor is it possible to be without it, O Lord.”
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) encouraged saying, “O Allah, bless us in what You have provided us, and provide us with something better.”
- Additionally, expressing gratitude at the end of a meal is an important etiquette, as narrated by the Prophet (peace be upon him): “All praise is to Allah who has fed us, quenched our thirst, sufficed us, and provided us shelter; how many are those who have no one to suffice them or shelter them.”
The Prophet’s Guidelines on Drinking
Several hadiths highlight the Prophet’s teachings regarding drinking, including:
- It was narrated by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (peace be upon him) would breathe into the vessel three times when drinking, saying: ‘It is more refreshing and thirst-quenching.’
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “If Allah has provided you with milk, say: ‘O Allah, bless us in it and provide us with more of it.'”
- Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) poured for me and said: ‘Drink.’ I said: ‘I will not drink until you drink, O Messenger of Allah.’ He replied: ‘The one who serves the people drinks last.’
- Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated an event where he gave the Prophet (peace be upon him) water from Zamzam, and he drank while standing.
- Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported having seen the Prophet (peace be upon him) drinking both while standing and sitting.