Source: Excerpt from "Aḥkām wa Masā'il: Kitāb o Sunnat kī Roshni Main" by Shaykh Mubashshir Ahmad Rabbānī
Should one lick their fingers after eating and pick up and eat a morsel that has fallen to the ground? At times, one’s nature feels reluctant to do so — is this practice acceptable in Islam?
Licking one's fingers after eating and picking up a fallen morsel to eat it is from the Sunnah of the Noble Messenger ﷺ.
Sayyidunā Anas رضي الله عنه narrates:
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أكل طعاماً لعق أصابعه الثلاث وقال:
"إذا سقطت لقمة أحدكم فليأخذها، فليمط عنها الأذى، وليأكلها ولا يدعها للشيطان."
"وَأمر أن تُسلت القِصعة، وقال: إنكم لا تدرون في أي طعامكم البركة."
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would lick his three fingers after eating, and he said:
‘If a morsel of food falls from one of you, let him clean it of any impurity and eat it, and not leave it for Shayṭān.’”
He ﷺ also commanded that the dish be cleaned thoroughly and said:
“Indeed, you do not know in which part of your food the blessing lies.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ashriba, Bāb Istihbāb Laʿq al-Aṣābiʿ: 2034
Also reported by al-Tirmidhī 1803, Abū Dāwūd 3845
Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrates:
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا أكل أحدكم طعاماً فلا يمسح يده حتى يلعقها أو يلعقها.
“When one of you eats food, he should not wipe his hand until he licks it or has it licked.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2031
✔ Licking the fingers after eating is not only allowed but recommended, as practiced and taught by the Prophet ﷺ.
✔ Eating the morsel that falls (after cleaning it) is also Sunnah and protects it from being consumed by Shayṭān.
✔ It is acceptable to lick one’s own fingers or have a child or someone else lick them, as there is no prohibition in the Sunnah.
✔ Parents should instill such habits in their children, so they grow up adhering to Islamic etiquette and practices.
✔ The blessing (barakah) in food is unknown to us — it may lie in the very morsel that falls. Hence, one should not waste food.
Even if one's personal preference or nature finds it disagreeable, this act is legislated in the Sharīʿah and carries both reward and wisdom. It aligns with the etiquette of the Prophet ﷺ and is a reminder that food is a blessing from Allah ﷻ not to be wasted or discarded due to baseless cultural sensitivity or personal taste.
❖ Question:
Should one lick their fingers after eating and pick up and eat a morsel that has fallen to the ground? At times, one’s nature feels reluctant to do so — is this practice acceptable in Islam?
❖ Answer:
Licking one's fingers after eating and picking up a fallen morsel to eat it is from the Sunnah of the Noble Messenger ﷺ.
Sayyidunā Anas رضي الله عنه narrates:
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أكل طعاماً لعق أصابعه الثلاث وقال:
"إذا سقطت لقمة أحدكم فليأخذها، فليمط عنها الأذى، وليأكلها ولا يدعها للشيطان."
"وَأمر أن تُسلت القِصعة، وقال: إنكم لا تدرون في أي طعامكم البركة."
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would lick his three fingers after eating, and he said:
‘If a morsel of food falls from one of you, let him clean it of any impurity and eat it, and not leave it for Shayṭān.’”
He ﷺ also commanded that the dish be cleaned thoroughly and said:
“Indeed, you do not know in which part of your food the blessing lies.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ashriba, Bāb Istihbāb Laʿq al-Aṣābiʿ: 2034 Also reported by al-Tirmidhī 1803, Abū Dāwūd 3845Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrates:
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا أكل أحدكم طعاماً فلا يمسح يده حتى يلعقها أو يلعقها.
“When one of you eats food, he should not wipe his hand until he licks it or has it licked.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2031❖ Key Lessons from These Aḥādīth:
✔ Licking the fingers after eating is not only allowed but recommended, as practiced and taught by the Prophet ﷺ.
✔ Eating the morsel that falls (after cleaning it) is also Sunnah and protects it from being consumed by Shayṭān.
✔ It is acceptable to lick one’s own fingers or have a child or someone else lick them, as there is no prohibition in the Sunnah.
✔ Parents should instill such habits in their children, so they grow up adhering to Islamic etiquette and practices.
✔ The blessing (barakah) in food is unknown to us — it may lie in the very morsel that falls. Hence, one should not waste food.
❖ Conclusion:
Even if one's personal preference or nature finds it disagreeable, this act is legislated in the Sharīʿah and carries both reward and wisdom. It aligns with the etiquette of the Prophet ﷺ and is a reminder that food is a blessing from Allah ﷻ not to be wasted or discarded due to baseless cultural sensitivity or personal taste.
