Authored by: Dr. Raza Abdullah Pasha (حفظه الله)
Do jinn eat along with humans?
It is narrated from the Companion Sayyiduna Umayyah (رضي الله عنه) that the Noble Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was present while a man was eating. The man had not recited "Bismillah". When only one morsel remained and he lifted it towards his mouth, he said:
"بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ"
"In the name of Allah, at its beginning and its end."
The Noble Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) laughed and then said:
"مَا زَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَأْكُلُ مَعَهُ، فَلَمَّا ذَكَرَ اسْمَ اللَّهِ اسْتَقَاءَ مَا فِي بَطْنِهِ"
"The Shayṭān had been eating with him, but when he mentioned the name of Allah, the Shayṭān vomited all that was in his stomach."
[Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ 4/152; al-Aḥādīth al-Mukhtaṣarah 4/342]
This indicates that if a person does not recite "Bismillah", then Shayṭān (jinn) joins him in his meal.
Sayyiduna Ḥudhayfah (رضي الله عنه) narrates:
"كُنَّا إِذَا حَضَرْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم طَعَامًا لَمْ نَضَعْ أَيْدِينَا حَتَّى يَبْدَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، وَإِنَّا حَضَرْنَا مَعَهُ مَرَّةً طَعَامًا، فَجَاءَتْ جَارِيَةٌ كَأَنَّهَا تُدْفَعُ فَذَهَبَتْ لِتَضَعَ يَدَهَا فِي الطَّعَامِ، فَأَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِهَا، ثُمَّ جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ كَأَنَّهُ يُدْفَعُ، فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِهِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَسْتَحِلُّ الطَّعَامَ أَنْ لَا يُذْكَرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِنَّهُ جَاءَ بِهَذِهِ الْجَارِيَةِ لِيَسْتَحِلَّ بِهَا، فَأَخَذْتُ بِيَدِهَا، فَجَاءَ بِهَذَا الْأَعْرَابِيِّ لِيَسْتَحِلَّ بِهِ، فَأَخَذْتُ بِيَدِهِ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ يَدَهُ فِي يَدِي مَعَ يَدَيْهِمَا"
"When we attended a meal with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), we would not put our hands forward until he began. Once, we were with him at a meal when a young girl rushed in as though she had been pushed. She went to place her hand in the food, but the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) caught her hand. Then a Bedouin came in the same manner, and he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) caught his hand as well. Then he said: 'The Shayṭān deems food lawful for himself when Allah’s name is not mentioned upon it. He brought this girl so that through her, the food might be lawful for him, but I seized her hand. Then he brought this Bedouin for the same purpose, and I seized his hand. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, the Shayṭān’s hand is in my hand along with theirs.'"
[Mukhtaṣar Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ḥadīth No. 2017]
❖ Question:
Do jinn eat along with humans?
❖ Answer:
It is narrated from the Companion Sayyiduna Umayyah (رضي الله عنه) that the Noble Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was present while a man was eating. The man had not recited "Bismillah". When only one morsel remained and he lifted it towards his mouth, he said:
"بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ"
"In the name of Allah, at its beginning and its end."
The Noble Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) laughed and then said:
"مَا زَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَأْكُلُ مَعَهُ، فَلَمَّا ذَكَرَ اسْمَ اللَّهِ اسْتَقَاءَ مَا فِي بَطْنِهِ"
"The Shayṭān had been eating with him, but when he mentioned the name of Allah, the Shayṭān vomited all that was in his stomach."
[Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ 4/152; al-Aḥādīth al-Mukhtaṣarah 4/342]
This indicates that if a person does not recite "Bismillah", then Shayṭān (jinn) joins him in his meal.
Sayyiduna Ḥudhayfah (رضي الله عنه) narrates:
"كُنَّا إِذَا حَضَرْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم طَعَامًا لَمْ نَضَعْ أَيْدِينَا حَتَّى يَبْدَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، وَإِنَّا حَضَرْنَا مَعَهُ مَرَّةً طَعَامًا، فَجَاءَتْ جَارِيَةٌ كَأَنَّهَا تُدْفَعُ فَذَهَبَتْ لِتَضَعَ يَدَهَا فِي الطَّعَامِ، فَأَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِهَا، ثُمَّ جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ كَأَنَّهُ يُدْفَعُ، فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِهِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَسْتَحِلُّ الطَّعَامَ أَنْ لَا يُذْكَرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِنَّهُ جَاءَ بِهَذِهِ الْجَارِيَةِ لِيَسْتَحِلَّ بِهَا، فَأَخَذْتُ بِيَدِهَا، فَجَاءَ بِهَذَا الْأَعْرَابِيِّ لِيَسْتَحِلَّ بِهِ، فَأَخَذْتُ بِيَدِهِ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ يَدَهُ فِي يَدِي مَعَ يَدَيْهِمَا"
"When we attended a meal with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), we would not put our hands forward until he began. Once, we were with him at a meal when a young girl rushed in as though she had been pushed. She went to place her hand in the food, but the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) caught her hand. Then a Bedouin came in the same manner, and he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) caught his hand as well. Then he said: 'The Shayṭān deems food lawful for himself when Allah’s name is not mentioned upon it. He brought this girl so that through her, the food might be lawful for him, but I seized her hand. Then he brought this Bedouin for the same purpose, and I seized his hand. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, the Shayṭān’s hand is in my hand along with theirs.'"
[Mukhtaṣar Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ḥadīth No. 2017]
