In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Imam al-Nawawi records in his book Meadows of the Righteous:
باب الأكل مما يليه ووعظه وتأديبه من يسيء أكله
Chapter on eating what is next to himself and disciplining one who eats poorly.
Source: Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn 1/237
‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
سَمِّ اللَّهَ وَكُلْ بِيَمِينِكَ وَكُلْ مِمَّا يَلِيكَ
Mention the name of Allah, eat with your right hand, and eat what is in front of you.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5376, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِذَا أَكَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ طَعَامًا فَلْيَقُلْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ نَسِيَ فِي أَوَّلِهِ فَلْيَقُلْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ فِي أَوَّلِهِ وَآخِرِهِ
When one of you eats a meal, let him begin in the name of Allah. If he forgets to say it in the beginning, let him say, ‘In the name of Allah, in its beginning and its end.’
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1858, Grade: Sahih
Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِذَا دَخَلَ الرَّجُلُ بَيْتَهُ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِ وَعِنْدَ طَعَامِهِ قَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَا مَبِيتَ لَكُمْ وَلَا عَشَاءَ وَإِذَا دَخَلَ فَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِ قَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ أَدْرَكْتُمْ الْمَبِيتَ وَإِذَا لَمْ يَذْكُرْ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ طَعَامِهِ قَالَ أَدْرَكْتُمْ الْمَبِيتَ وَالْعَشَاءَ
When a man enters his home and remembers Allah as he enters and as he eats, Satan says to himself, ‘You have no place to spend the night and no dinner.’ When he enters his home without remembering of Allah, Satan says, ‘You have found a place to spend the night.’ When he eats his meal without remembering Allah, Satan says, ‘You have found a place to spend the night and eat dinner.’
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2018, Grade: Sahih
Hudhayfah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَسْتَحِلُّ الطَّعَامَ أَنْ لَا يُذْكَرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ
Verily, Satan permits himself to eat the food over which the name of Allah is not mentioned.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2017, Grade: Sahih
Umayyah ibn Makshi reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was sitting and a man was eating food, but he did not mention the name of Allah until nothing remained but a morsel. When the man raised it to his mouth, he said, “In the name of Allah, beginning and ending.” The Prophet laughed, and then he said:
مَا زَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَأْكُلُ مَعَهُ فَلَمَّا ذَكَرَ اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ اسْتَقَاءَ مَا فِي بَطْنِهِ
Satan continued to eat with him, but when he mentioned the name of Allah Almighty, he vomited what was in his stomach.
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 3768, Grade: Hasan
Aisha reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was eating with six of his companions when a bedouin came and ate all of the food in two bites. The Prophet said:
أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَوْ سَمَّى لَكَفَاكُمْ
If he had mentioned the name of Allah, it would have been enough for all of you.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1858, Grade: Sahih
Abu Umamah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would say when he cleared the table of his meal:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ غَيْرَ مَكْفِيٍّ وَلَا مُوَدَّعٍ وَلَا مُسْتَغْنًى عَنْهُ رَبَّنَا
All praise is due to Allah, abundantly, purely, and blessed in it, yet such praise is neither enough, nor abandoned, nor is it without need, Our Lord.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5458, Grade: Sahih
Mu’adh ibn Anas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مَنْ أَكَلَ طَعَامًا ثُمَّ قَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا الطَّعَامَ وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ
Whoever eats a meal and then says, ‘All praise is due to Allah, who has fed me this food and provided for me, without any power or strength from myself,’ he will be forgiven for his past and future sins.
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4023, Grade: Hasan
Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
مَا عَابَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ طَعَامًا قَطُّ إِنْ اشْتَهَاهُ أَكَلَهُ وَإِلَّا تَرَكَهُ
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would never complain about food. If he liked something, he would eat it. If he disliked it, he would leave it.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3370, Grade: Sahih
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِذَا دُعِيَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيُجِبْ فَإِنْ كَانَ صَائِمًا فَلْيُصَلِّ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُفْطِرًا فَلْيَطْعَمْ
If one of you is invited for a meal, let him respond. If he is fasting, let him pray for the host. If he is not fasting, let him eat.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1431, Grade: Sahih
Washi ibn Harb reported: They said, “O Messenger of Allah, we eat but we are not satiated.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
فَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَفْتَرِقُونَ
Perhaps you eat separately?
They said yes. The Prophet said:
فَاجْتَمِعُوا عَلَى طَعَامِكُمْ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ يُبَارَكْ لَكُمْ فِيهِ
Eat your meals together and mention the name of Allah over it, for you will be blessed in it.
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 3764, Grade: Hasan li ghayrihi
Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
طَعَامُ الْوَاحِدِ يَكْفِي الِاثْنَيْنِ وَطَعَامُ الِاثْنَيْنِ يَكْفِي الْأَرْبَعَةَ وَطَعَامُ الْأَرْبَعَةِ يَكْفِي الثَّمَانِيَةَ
The food of one person is enough for two, the food of two is enough for four, and the food of four is enough for eight.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2059, Grade: Sahih
Imam al-Nawawi commented:
هَذَا فِيهِ الْحَثُّ عَلَى الْمُوَاسَاةِ فِي الطَّعَامِ وَأَنَّهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ قَلِيلًا حَصَلَتْ مِنْهُ الْكِفَايَةُ الْمَقْصُودَةُ وَوَقَعَتْ فِيهِ بَرَكَةٌ تَعُمُّ الْحَاضِرِينَ عَلَيْهِ
This is an encouragement to share food. Even a little will be enough for this purpose, and there is blessing in sharing with those present.
Source: Sharḥ al-Nawawī ‘alá Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 14/23
Juhayfah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
لَا آكُلُ مُتَّكِئًا
I do not eat while reclining.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5398, Grade: Sahih
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would lick what he ate with his three fingers during a meal, saying:
إِذَا سَقَطَتْ لُقْمَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلْيُمِطْ عَنْهَا الْأَذَى وَلْيَأْكُلْهَا وَلَا يَدَعْهَا لِلشَّيْطَانِ
When one of you drops a mouthful, he should remove any filth from it and then eat it. He should not leave it for the devil.
The Prophet commanded us to wipe clean our dishes, saying:
فَإِنَّكُمْ لَا تَدْرُونَ فِي أَيِّ طَعَامِكُمْ الْبَرَكَةُ
Verily, you do not know in which portion of your food is the blessing.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2034, Grade: Sahih
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited a man from drinking while standing up. We said, “And eating?” Anas said:
ذَاكَ أَشَرُّ
That is even worse.
Source: Sahih Muslim 2024, Grade: Sahih
Imam al-Nawawi commented:
وَالصَّوَابُ فِيهَا أَنَّ النَّهْيَ فِيهَا مَحْمُولٌ عَلَى كَرَاهَةِ التَّنْزِيهِ وَأَمَّا شُرْبُهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَائِمًا فَبَيَانٌ لِلْجَوَازِ
The correct opinion is that the prohibition of eating while standing is understood to be moderately discouraged. As for the Prophet drinking while standing, it is clearly permissible.
Source: Sharḥ al-Nawawī ‘alá Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 13/195
Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
سَقَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ زَمْزَمَ فَشَرِبَ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ
I gave Zamzam water to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he drank it while standing.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1637, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Imam Ibn al-Tin commented:
فِعْلُهُ ذَلِكَ لِبَيَانِ الْجَوَازِ
The Prophet did that to make clear it is permissible.
Source: al-Tawḍīḥ li-Sharḥ al-Jāmiʻ al-Ṣaḥīḥ 27/199
Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
كُنَّا نَأْكُلُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَنَحْنُ نَمْشِي وَنَشْرَبُ وَنَحْنُ قِيَامٌ
In the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, we would eat while walking and drink while standing.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1880, Grade: Sahih
Abu Qatadah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
سَاقِي الْقَوْمِ آخِرُهُمْ شُرْبًا
One who serves drinks to his guests should be the last to drink.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1894, Grade: Sahih
Hudhayfah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
لَا تَشْرَبُوا فِي آنِيَةِ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَلَا تَلْبَسُوا الْحَرِيرَ وَالدِّيبَاجَ فَإِنَّهَا لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَكُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ
Do not drink from gold or silver vessels, and do not wear silk or brocade. Verily, these are for unbelievers in the world and for us in the Hereafter.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5633, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Umm Salamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مَنْ شَرِبَ فِي إِنَاءٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ أَوْ فِضَّةٍ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَرْجِرُ فِي بَطْنِهِ نَارًا مِنْ جَهَنَّمَ
Whoever drinks from a vessel of gold or silver, surely he has only filled his belly with the fire of Hell.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5634, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.
