ETIQUETTE OF EATING ‘ In the light of Sunnah’

‘O You who believe! Eat of the lawful things that we have provided You with, and be grateful to Allâh, if it is indeed He whom You worship’ Al-Baqarah V. 172

in the Messenger of Allah, is the best example’ ‘Certainly, for you all, in the Messenger of Allah, is the best example’ Al-Ahzaab V.21

‘ O You who believe! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided You with, and be grateful to Allâh, if it is indeed He whom You worship’ Al-Baqarah V.172

The utterance of Bismillāh when taking food, and a short prayer after it, was the practice of the Prophet (saw) “ Satan considers that food lawful on which Allah's name is not mentioned” (Muslim)

Narrated Aisha (RA) : The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “When one of you eats, he should mention Allah's name; if he forgets to mention Allah's name at the beginning, he should say: "In the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of it." (Muslim)

ALWAYS EAT WITH THE RIGHT HAND “ When any one of you intends to eat, he should eat with his right hand, and when he (intends) to drink he should drink with his right hand, for the Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand” (Muslim)

SLOW DOWN! Eat with three fingers Do not waste the food No gulping down water No blowing into vessel

UPON DRINKING MILK اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيهِ وَزِدْنَا مِنْهُ "O Allah, grant us blessings in it“ (Tirmidhi)

RESPECT FOR FOOD “I do not eat while reclining. Indeed I am a slave, so I eat like a slave eats, and I sit like a slave sits” Allah's Messenger (saw) never found fault with food (Bukhari)

EAT FROM THE SIDE NEAREST TO YOU “Say Bismillāh and eat with your right hand and take from the side nearest to you" (Muslim) .

DISAPPROVAL FOR DRINKING AND EATING WHILE STANDING Anas reported that Allah‘s Messenger (saw) forbade that a person should drink while standing. Qatada reported: We said to him: What about eating? Thereupon he (Anas) said: That is even worse and more detestable (Muslim)

"Nothing is worse than a person who fills his stomach "Nothing is worse than a person who fills his stomach. It should be enough for the son of Adam to have a few bites to satisfy his hunger. If he wishes more, it should be: One-third for his food, one-third for his liquids, and one-third for his breath” [Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah] So, eat to live and do not live to eat!

Etiquette of eating in company Have regard for others, don’t finish before them Be considerate. Before a second helping make sure everyone has had their fill When the guests are leaving, the host must accompany them to the door

SHARING “Food for two persons suffices three persons and food for three persons suffices four persons” (Muslim)

DON,T FORGET YOUR NEIGHBOR "He is not a believer who eats to his fill but his neighbor goes without food." Bukhari

“Repay your brother” A masnoon dua for the host is: اللَّهُمَّ أَطْعِمْ مَنْ أَطْعَمَنِي وَاسْقِ مَنْ سَقَانِي O Allah, feed him for he has fed me and quench his thirst for he has quenched my thirst. (Muslim)

Dua upon finishing the meal الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا الطَّعَامَ وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ Praise is to Allah Who has given me this food and sustained me with it though I was unable to do it and powerless. (Tirmidhi)

THINGS TO REMEMBER ‘When eating’ -Start with Bismillah and dua -Eat with right hand -Sit and eat -Chew well and do not waste food -Eat from the side nearest to you -Do not lean -Do not find faults with food -No utensils of gold and silver -No over eating -Share -Upon finishing the meal, thank Allah SWT -If you are the guest, make dua for your host -If you are the host, accompany your guest to the door

‘When drinking’ -Start with Bismillah -End with Al-hamdu-lillah -Sit and drink -Do not gulp down water -Do not blow into the vessel -Do not drink from chipped edge of a mug