1The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Umar ibn Abi Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him:
"Young boy, say Allah's name, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is nearest to you."
Reported by al-Bukhari, no. 5376.
A Muslim says "بسم الله", meaning "In the name of Allah," when beginning to eat or drink. Saying Allah's name before eating is obligatory according to the stronger opinion, which was preferred by Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him. It should therefore not be deliberately omitted.
Someone who forgets and then remembers while eating says:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ
"In the name of Allah at its beginning and its end."
This wording is reported in the hadith of Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated by Abu Dawud, no. 3767, and graded authentic by al-Albani.
Parents teach their children to say Allah's name through a brief reminder and a daily example, rather than scolding or embarrassing them.
2The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"When one of you eats, let them eat with their right hand, and when they drink, let them drink with their right hand, for Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand."
Reported by Muslim, no. 2020.
Eating and drinking with the right hand are obligatory according to the stronger opinion for someone able to do so. Being accustomed to using the left hand should not be treated as an excuse to continue; a person instead practices using the right. Someone unable to use it because of an injury, illness, or disability may use the left and is not blamed for what they cannot do.
This applies to eating by hand or with a spoon and to drinking water or anything else. What matters is the hand with which a person eats or drinks.
3In the previously mentioned hadith of Umar ibn Abi Salamah, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Eat from what is nearest to you."
If a shared dish contains one type of food, each person eats from the part closest to them, rather than selecting what they consider better from in front of others and leaving them what they do not want.
If the dish contains different types of food, a person may take the type they want even if it is not close to them, while considering those eating with them and without crowding or causing harm. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, picked out pieces of dubba, meaning gourd, from around the dish. Reported by al-Bukhari, no. 5379.
4Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
"The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, never criticized food. If he wanted it, he ate it, and if he disliked it, he left it."
Reported by al-Bukhari, no. 5409.
Not every food suits your taste. You may leave it without disparagement or mockery. Politely pointing out that food has spoiled or something that may harm the person eating it, or explaining what does not suit you because of a health need, is not included in criticizing food.
5Kab ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to eat with three fingers and lick his hand before wiping it."
Reported by Muslim, no. 2032.
Eating with three fingers is recommended for food suited to this, such as small portions that can be picked up with them. If the food requires more fingers, a person uses what is needed without forcing a manner that makes eating difficult.
Someone who eats by hand and has food left on their fingers licks them when finished, before wiping or washing them. They keep their hands clean and avoid contaminating other people's food in a shared dish. This is an established Sunnah, not restricted to the home, and should not be abandoned merely because some people find it unfamiliar.
6Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, instructed people to lick their fingers and the dish, and said:
"You do not know in which part the blessing lies."
Reported by Muslim, no. 2033.
It is recommended to gather and eat the remaining food in one's plate that is fit to eat, or what remains in the part of a shared dish from which one was eating. Licking the dish should not be understood as placing one's mouth on a shared serving plate or contaminating other people's food.
Blessing comes from Allah alone. In seeking it, we follow what He has prescribed and do not attribute to food or remembrances an effect independent of Him, glorified is He.
7The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"If a morsel of food falls from one of you, let them pick it up, remove whatever dirt is on it, and eat it, rather than leaving it for Satan."
Reported by Muslim, no. 2033.
If the morsel remains fit to eat and the dirt can be removed, a person picks it up, cleans it, and eats it. Spoiled food or food contaminated with something that cannot be removed should not be eaten. The hadith instructs people to remove the harmful substance, not to eat something whose harm is feared.
8The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"I do not eat while reclining."
Reported by al-Bukhari, no. 5398.
It is better to eat sitting upright, without leaning to one side. Avoiding reclining here is recommended. Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, explained that someone who eats while reclining does not sin, but avoiding it is better in following the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
This does not require eating on the floor or prohibit using a table and chair. The needs of someone who is ill or unable to sit in the usual way are also taken into account.
9The prohibition of drinking while standing is established in Sahih Muslim, no. 2024. It is also established that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, gave the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, Zamzam water, and he drank it while standing. Reported by Muslim, no. 2027.
A number of scholars reconciled these narrations by explaining that drinking while seated is better, and that the prohibition of standing indicates dislike rather than an absolute ban. Among them was Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him. According to this view, it is better to sit when possible, while drinking standing is permissible, especially when needed.
10The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to take three breaths when drinking, and said:
"It is more thirst-quenching, healthier, and more pleasant."
Reported by Muslim, no. 2028.
This means drinking in three stages and moving the vessel away from the mouth to breathe between them, not breathing into the water or the cup. Drinking in this manner is recommended, not obligatory.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited breathing or blowing into the vessel. Reported by Abu Dawud, no. 3728, and graded authentic by al-Albani. If a drink is hot, wait for it to cool rather than blowing into it.
11The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"Allah is pleased with a servant who eats a meal and praises Him for it, or drinks a drink and praises Him for it."
Reported by Muslim, no. 2734.
When finished, a person says "الحمد لله", meaning "All praise is due to Allah." Among the wordings reported after eating is:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ
"All praise is due to Allah, who fed me this and provided it for me without any power or strength on my part."
Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 3458, who described it as a hasan gharib hadith.
A person may also use the other established forms of praise and does not need to combine them all after every meal. More wordings and their references can be found in Adhkar for Food and Drink.
12Part of thanking someone who has served you food is to supplicate for them. Among the established supplications is:
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَهُمْ فِيمَا رَزَقْتَهُمْ، وَاغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَارْحَمْهُمْ
"O Allah, bless them in what You have provided for them, forgive them, and have mercy on them."
Reported by Muslim, no. 2042.
Also:
اللَّهُمَّ أَطْعِمْ مَنْ أَطْعَمَنِي وَأَسْقِ مَنْ أَسْقَانِي
"O Allah, feed whoever has fed me, and give drink to whoever has given me drink."
Reported by Muslim, no. 2055.
13Allah says, in meaning:
﴿وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ﴾
"Eat and drink, but do not be excessive. Indeed, He does not love those who are excessive." [Al-Araf: 31].
Take the amount of food you need, and keep the remaining food that is fit to eat or make use of it in a permissible way. Do not make an abundance of food a display of boasting, then throw away what has not been eaten. Preserving the blessing does not mean keeping spoiled food or serving it to others.
