The etiquettes of drinking are to take three breaths and drink with the right hand while sitting.
It is narrated from Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that:
أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يتنفس فى الإناء ثلاثا
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to take three breaths in the vessel.”
[Bukhari: 5631, Book of Drinks: Chapter on drinking with two or three breaths, Muslim: 2028, Tirmidhi: 1884, Abu Dawood: 3727]
In one narration, these words are mentioned:
أنه كان يتنفس فى الشراب ثلاثا ويقول أنه أروى و أمرأ
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to take three breaths in the drink and said: This quenches thirst more and goes down the throat comfortably.”
[Muslim: 2028, Book of Drinks: Chapter on dislike of breathing into the vessel]
It should be noted that by taking breaths it is meant that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to breathe outside the vessel every second time he drank.
➊ It was said to Hazrat Umar ibn Abi Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him):
كل بيمينك
“Eat with your right hand.”
[Bukhari: 5376, Book of Foods: Chapter on saying Bismillah before eating and eating with the right hand, Muslim: 2022]
➋ It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “None of you should eat or drink with his left hand because Satan eats and drinks with his left hand.”
[Muslim: 2020, Book of Drinks: Chapter on the etiquettes and rulings of food and drink, Abu Dawood: 3776, Tirmidhi: 1800]
➊ It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah said:
لا يشربن أحدكم قائماً، فمن نسي فليستقئ
“None of you should drink standing, and whoever forgets and drinks standing should vomit.”
[Muslim: 2026, Book of Drinks: Chapter on dislike of drinking while standing]
➋ A similar hadith is narrated from Hazrat Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him).
[Muslim: 2024, Ahmad: 32/3, Tirmidhi: 1879, Abu Dawood: 3717, Ibn Majah: 3424]
The following hadiths appear to be contradictory to the previous ones:
➊ It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) that:
شرب النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قـائـمـا من زمزم
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) drank Zamzam water while standing.”
[Bukhari: 5617, Book of Drinks: Chapter on drinking while standing, Muslim: 2027, Tirmidhi: 1882, Nasai: 2964]
➋ Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) drank water while standing and said:
إن ناسا يكرهون الشرب قائما وإن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم صنع مثل ما صنعت
“Indeed, people dislike drinking while standing, yet the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did the same as I did.”
[Bukhari: 0616, Abu Dawood: 3718, Nasai: 130]
➌ It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) that during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) we used to eat while walking and drink while standing.
[Sahih: Sahih Ibn Majah: 2670, Book of Foods: Chapter on eating while standing, Ibn Majah: 3301, Tirmidhi: 1880]
➍ It is also established from Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he drank while standing.
[Fath al-Bari: 215/11]
Application:
These apparently contradictory hadiths have been reconciled in different ways.
➊ The hadiths permitting the act should be preferred over the hadiths forbidding it. This is the view of Abu Bakr Athram.
➋ The hadiths forbidding it have been abrogated by the hadiths permitting it. This is the view of Ibn Shaheen.
➌ The hadiths permitting it have been abrogated by the hadiths forbidding it. This is the view of Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him).
➍ The hadiths forbidding it indicate dislike (makruh) rather than prohibition (haram), and the hadiths permitting it provide evidence for this interpretation (i.e., that it is disliked). This is the view of Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him).
(Preferred) Hafiz Ibn Hajar’s view is preferred and correct (i.e., drinking while standing is not forbidden but disliked, and if someone drinks while standing, he will not be sinful).
[Nil al-Awtar: 278/5, Fath al-Bari: 216/11]
When giving to others, those on the right side should be given precedence, and the one who offers the drink should drink last.
➊ It is narrated from Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that:
أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أتى بلبن قد شيب بماء وعن يمينه أعرابي وعن شماله أبو بكر فشرب ثم أعطى الأعرابي وقال: الأيمن الأيمن
“Milk mixed with water was presented in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). On his right side was a villager and on his left side was Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) drank and then gave it to the remaining villager and said: From the right side, then from the right side.”
[Bukhari: 5619, Book of Drinks: Chapter on the right hand precedence in drinking, Muslim: 2029, Muwatta: 926/2, Tirmidhi: 1893, Abu Dawood: 3726, Ibn Majah: 3425]
➋ It is narrated from Hazrat Sahl bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) that:
أن رسول الله أتى بشراب فشرب منه وعن يمينه غلام وعن يساره الأشياخ فقال للغلام: أتا ذن لي أن أعطى هؤلاء فقال الغلام: والله يا رسول الله لا أوثر بنصيبي منك أحدا قال فتله رسول الله فى يده
“A drink was brought in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He drank from it. On his right side was a boy and on his left side were elderly people (such as Hazrat Khalid bin Walid, may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to the boy: Will you allow me to give these elders first? The boy said: By Allah! O Messenger of Allah! I will not prefer anyone over my share from your leftovers. The narrator said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) then gave the cup to the boy.”
[Bukhari: 5620, Book of Drinks: Chapter on whether a man should seek permission from his right side to give the elders first, Muslim: 2030]
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Qatada (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
ساقي القوم آخرهم شربا
“The one who serves water to people will drink last.”
[Sahih: Sahih Ibn Majah: 2771, Book of Drinks: Chapter on the one who serves the people drinks last, Ibn Majah: 3434, Tirmidhi: 1894, Ahmad: 303/5, Darimi: 122/2, Nasai in Sunan al-Kubra: 194/4]
(Shawkani) This hadith indicates that it is obligatory upon the leader of the believers to prioritize the reform and welfare of the public over himself, to benefit them, remove harm from them, oversee their minor and major affairs, and consider their interests above his own.
[Nil al-Awtar: 283/5]
