Written by: Fadheelat al-Sheikh Abdul Salam bin Muhammad (may Allah preserve him)
عنہ رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: "لا يشربن أحد منكم قائما" [أخرجه مسلم] ، [بلوغ المرام : 1246]
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"None of you should drink while standing."
[Sahih Muslim]
[Takhreej: Sahih Muslim, The Book of Drinks: 116], [Bulugh al-Maram: 1246], See also [Tuhfat al-Ashraf: 89/11]
"That is even worse and more evil."
This could be due to the fact that standing for a longer time is usually required for eating as compared to drinking.
"Vomit it out." The man asked, "Why?" The Prophet replied:
"Do you like having a companion drink with you without your knowledge?" The man replied, "No." The Prophet said:
"One worse than you drank with you: Satan."
[Musnad Ahmad 7990]
The chain of narrators of this Hadith includes men who are also found in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, except for Abu Ziyad, whom Yahya ibn Ma’in deemed reliable, and Abu Hatim called him sahih al-hadith.
[Silisilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah 175]
"I gave the Prophet (peace be upon him) Zamzam water, and he drank while standing."
[Sahih Bukhari 5617, Sahih Muslim 117]
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) once prayed the Zuhr prayer and then sat in the public square of Kufa for the needs of the people. When the time for Asr came, water was brought to him. He washed his face and hands, and the narrator also mentioned that he washed his head and feet. Then, he stood and drank the leftover water and said:
"Some people dislike drinking while standing, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) did what I have done."
[Sahih Bukhari 5616]
Kabshah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to her and drank water from a hanging water skin while standing.
[Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book of Drinks, Sahih al-Tirmidhi 1542]
Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
"We used to eat while walking and drink while standing during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)."
[Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book of Drinks, Sahih al-Tirmidhi 1533]
It is also narrated in Muwatta Malik that Umar, Uthman, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) drank while standing, and Sa’d and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) saw no issue with it.
[Fath al-Bari 86/10]
Thus, after learning of the prohibition from the Prophet (peace be upon him), we should avoid standing while drinking unless there is a valid excuse. However, if sitting is not feasible, standing is permissible.
عنہ رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: "لا يشربن أحد منكم قائما" [أخرجه مسلم] ، [بلوغ المرام : 1246]
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"None of you should drink while standing."
[Sahih Muslim]
[Takhreej: Sahih Muslim, The Book of Drinks: 116], [Bulugh al-Maram: 1246], See also [Tuhfat al-Ashraf: 89/11]
Benefits:
In the Sahih Muslim, it is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) added the words: "If someone forgets and drinks while standing, they should induce vomiting." Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade drinking while standing. Qatadah reported that when they asked Anas about the ruling on eating while standing, he replied:"That is even worse and more evil."
This could be due to the fact that standing for a longer time is usually required for eating as compared to drinking.
Medical Explanation for Avoiding Drinking While Standing:
The medical reason for prohibiting drinking while standing is that when a person sits to drink, they typically drink calmly, which reduces the risk of choking. Similarly, the chances of experiencing pain in the throat, esophagus, stomach, or liver are minimized. In contrast, drinking in a hurry while standing increases the likelihood of such issues. Vomiting may alleviate these problems because it helps release the retained substance that cannot flow otherwise.Explanation from the Prophet (peace be upon him):
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) once saw a man drinking while standing and said:"Vomit it out." The man asked, "Why?" The Prophet replied:
"Do you like having a companion drink with you without your knowledge?" The man replied, "No." The Prophet said:
"One worse than you drank with you: Satan."
[Musnad Ahmad 7990]
The chain of narrators of this Hadith includes men who are also found in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, except for Abu Ziyad, whom Yahya ibn Ma’in deemed reliable, and Abu Hatim called him sahih al-hadith.
[Silisilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah 175]
Drinking While Standing in Other Authentic Hadiths:
Despite the aforementioned prohibitions, there are also authentic narrations where the Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have drunk while standing. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:"I gave the Prophet (peace be upon him) Zamzam water, and he drank while standing."
[Sahih Bukhari 5617, Sahih Muslim 117]
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) once prayed the Zuhr prayer and then sat in the public square of Kufa for the needs of the people. When the time for Asr came, water was brought to him. He washed his face and hands, and the narrator also mentioned that he washed his head and feet. Then, he stood and drank the leftover water and said:
"Some people dislike drinking while standing, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) did what I have done."
[Sahih Bukhari 5616]
Kabshah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to her and drank water from a hanging water skin while standing.
[Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book of Drinks, Sahih al-Tirmidhi 1542]
Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
"We used to eat while walking and drink while standing during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)."
[Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book of Drinks, Sahih al-Tirmidhi 1533]
It is also narrated in Muwatta Malik that Umar, Uthman, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) drank while standing, and Sa’d and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) saw no issue with it.
[Fath al-Bari 86/10]
Reconciling the Hadiths of Prohibition and Permission:
Since both the prohibition and permission of drinking while standing are authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him), scholars have adopted different approaches to reconcile them.- First Approach:
Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that the Ahadith permitting drinking while standing were abrogated by the prohibitive ones. Since the original ruling on matters is permissibility, it was initially allowed to drink while standing, but when the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade it, it became prohibited. This prohibition implies that drinking while standing is haram. However, the idea of abrogation cannot be established merely by assumption; it requires knowledge of historical context, which is not known here. Moreover, the Prophet (peace be upon him) drank while standing during the Farewell Hajj, suggesting this approach is not valid. Therefore, drinking while standing does not incur sin, but one loses the reward and virtue. Drinking while sitting brings reward and follows the Sunnah. - Second Approach:
The prohibition of drinking while standing is considered nahi tanzihi (a discouragement rather than a strict prohibition). The command to induce vomiting is also seen as a recommendation for reward rather than an obligation. The proof is that despite the prohibition, the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself drank while standing, showing it is not sinful. The actions of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and other Companions further confirm this. However, avoiding drinking while standing brings greater reward since ignoring the Prophet’s prohibition would otherwise seem pointless. Most scholars have adopted this view, and Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) deemed this the best position with minimal objections. - Third Approach:
Drinking while standing is prohibited, but if there is an excuse, it is permissible. When reviewing the instances where the Prophet (peace be upon him) drank while standing, this understanding emerges. For example, in the case of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) was handed a bucket at the Zamzam well. Due to the crowd and scattered water, sitting to drink was impractical, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) drank while standing. Similarly, Kabshah’s (may Allah be pleased with her) narration mentions a hanging water skin from which it would have been difficult to drink while sitting. Ali’s (may Allah be pleased with him) narration could indicate that he performed ablution while standing and drank the leftover water in the same position.
Thus, after learning of the prohibition from the Prophet (peace be upon him), we should avoid standing while drinking unless there is a valid excuse. However, if sitting is not feasible, standing is permissible.
- Fourth Approach:
It is permissible to drink Zamzam water and the leftover water from ablution while standing, but other instances of drinking while standing are prohibited. - Fifth Approach:
Drinking while standing is something unique to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and others should not follow this practice.