Written by: Qari Usama bin Abdul Salam (Hafizahullah)
✔ Qur’anic Evidence:
① Surah Al-Baqarah (2:29):
“He is the One Who created for you all that is in the earth.”
② Surah Al-Baqarah (2:168):
“O people! Eat from what is lawful and pure on the earth.”
③ Hadith:
Um Abdullah (RA) narrated: The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Eat only lawful things and perform good deeds.”
(Mustadrak al-Hakim, Hadith 7159 – Sahih)
“Whoever's flesh is nourished with haram, the Hellfire is more deserving of him.”
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7164 – Sahih)
② Al-Mustawrid bin Shaddad (RA):
“Whoever eats a morsel by deceiving a fellow Muslim will be fed the fire of Hell on the Day of Judgement.”
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7166 – Sahih)
③ Hadith about Hospitality:
“When you are invited by your brother and he offers you food, eat from it without inquiring into its source.”
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7160 – Sahih)
“We are a people who do not eat until hungry and when we eat, we do not fill ourselves.”
[Zaad al-Ma’ad, Al-Bidayah]
✔ Do not find faults in food. If you like it, eat; if not, leave it.
(Hadith from Abu Hurairah – Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)
✔ Eating together brings blessings.
(Mentioned in Abu Dawood – Hasan)
✔ Do not blow on food or drink.
(Hadith from Ibn Abbas – Sahih)
✔ Prefer to sit on the ground; avoid tables unless necessary.
(Hadith from Anas bin Malik – Ibn Majah 3292)
“Do not befriend but a believer, and let only a righteous person eat your food.”
(Sunan Abi Dawood 4832 – Hasan)
✔ Do not lie down flat on your stomach while eating.
✔ Cool your food before eating it.
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7125 – Sahih)
✔ Eating soup was a remedy used by the Prophet ﷺ for cough.
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7122)
✔ Feeding others with lawful sustenance brings immense reward.
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7172)
(Sahih Muslim 2034)
✔ Do not waste food; clean your plate thoroughly.
✔ Say “Bismillah” before eating.
✔ Eat with the right hand from the side closest to you.
✔ Eat while sitting humbly, not reclining.
✔ If you forget to say Bismillah at the start, say:
“Bismillah Fi Awwalihi wa Aakhirihi”
✔ After eating, say:
“Alhamdulillahilladhi at’amani hadha wa razaqanihi min ghairi hawlin minni wa la quwwah”
(Sunan Abi Dawood 4023 – Hasan)
✔ Thank Allah sincerely.
(Hadith – “The grateful eater has the reward of a patient fasting person.”)
✔ Dinner is important:
“Do not skip the evening meal even if it’s just a few dates.”
✔ Eating while standing is permissible, though sitting is better.
(Sahih reports from Abdullah bin Umar and Anas)
“The angels do not enter a house with pictures.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah 3359 – Sahih)
“O Allah! Forgive them, have mercy on them, bless them, and provide for them.”
(Mustadrak al-Hakim – Sahih)
The etiquettes of eating and drinking in Islam are not mere rituals, but comprehensive guidelines that promote health, gratitude, cleanliness, and social ethics. Let us implement these sunnahs in our daily lives and encourage others to do the same.
May Allah grant us the ability to follow the Qur’an and Sunnah in every aspect of our lives. Ameen.
❖ Definition of Food (الطعام)
“Al-Ta’am” refers to all those items that are consumed as nourishment, such as wheat, rice, dates, meat, etc.❖ Ruling on Eating
Islam recognizes the rights of the body and soul. Eating has been legislated to preserve life and enable the fulfillment of religious obligations. Everything is made lawful except that which has been explicitly declared haram due to its harmfulness.✔ Qur’anic Evidence:
① Surah Al-Baqarah (2:29):
“He is the One Who created for you all that is in the earth.”
② Surah Al-Baqarah (2:168):
“O people! Eat from what is lawful and pure on the earth.”
③ Hadith:
Um Abdullah (RA) narrated: The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Eat only lawful things and perform good deeds.”
(Mustadrak al-Hakim, Hadith 7159 – Sahih)
❖ Importance of Avoiding Haram Food
① Abu Bakr (RA):“Whoever's flesh is nourished with haram, the Hellfire is more deserving of him.”
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7164 – Sahih)
② Al-Mustawrid bin Shaddad (RA):
“Whoever eats a morsel by deceiving a fellow Muslim will be fed the fire of Hell on the Day of Judgement.”
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7166 – Sahih)
③ Hadith about Hospitality:
“When you are invited by your brother and he offers you food, eat from it without inquiring into its source.”
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7160 – Sahih)
❖ A Believer Does Not Eat Excessively
The Prophet ﷺ said:“We are a people who do not eat until hungry and when we eat, we do not fill ourselves.”
[Zaad al-Ma’ad, Al-Bidayah]
❖ Manners of Eating
✔ Eat without leaning; be humble.✔ Do not find faults in food. If you like it, eat; if not, leave it.
(Hadith from Abu Hurairah – Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)
✔ Eating together brings blessings.
(Mentioned in Abu Dawood – Hasan)
✔ Do not blow on food or drink.
(Hadith from Ibn Abbas – Sahih)
✔ Prefer to sit on the ground; avoid tables unless necessary.
(Hadith from Anas bin Malik – Ibn Majah 3292)
❖ With Whom to Share Your Food
✔ The Prophet ﷺ said:“Do not befriend but a believer, and let only a righteous person eat your food.”
(Sunan Abi Dawood 4832 – Hasan)
❖ Food and Manners:
✔ Do not eat on a table where alcohol is consumed.✔ Do not lie down flat on your stomach while eating.
✔ Cool your food before eating it.
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7125 – Sahih)
✔ Eating soup was a remedy used by the Prophet ﷺ for cough.
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7122)
✔ Feeding others with lawful sustenance brings immense reward.
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7172)
❖ Specific Sunnahs
✔ Pick up and eat dropped morsels after cleaning them.(Sahih Muslim 2034)
✔ Do not waste food; clean your plate thoroughly.
✔ Say “Bismillah” before eating.
✔ Eat with the right hand from the side closest to you.
✔ Eat while sitting humbly, not reclining.
✔ If you forget to say Bismillah at the start, say:
“Bismillah Fi Awwalihi wa Aakhirihi”
✔ After eating, say:
“Alhamdulillahilladhi at’amani hadha wa razaqanihi min ghairi hawlin minni wa la quwwah”
(Sunan Abi Dawood 4023 – Hasan)
❖ After Eating
✔ Clean the mouth and teeth after eating.✔ Thank Allah sincerely.
(Hadith – “The grateful eater has the reward of a patient fasting person.”)
✔ Dinner is important:
“Do not skip the evening meal even if it’s just a few dates.”
✔ Eating while standing is permissible, though sitting is better.
(Sahih reports from Abdullah bin Umar and Anas)
❖ What If There Is Something Wrong at the Meal?
✔ The Prophet ﷺ left a gathering due to a curtain with images, saying:“The angels do not enter a house with pictures.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah 3359 – Sahih)
❖ Dua for the Host
“اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَارْحَمْهُمْ وَبَارِكْ لَهُمْ وَارْزُقْهُمْ”“O Allah! Forgive them, have mercy on them, bless them, and provide for them.”
(Mustadrak al-Hakim – Sahih)
Conclusion
The etiquettes of eating and drinking in Islam are not mere rituals, but comprehensive guidelines that promote health, gratitude, cleanliness, and social ethics. Let us implement these sunnahs in our daily lives and encourage others to do the same. May Allah grant us the ability to follow the Qur’an and Sunnah in every aspect of our lives. Ameen.