The Holy Messenger (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would eat whatever he found present in the house. He felt very happy in eating with large numbers of people. At the time of spreading the dining cloth, on the ground, he would recite:

“In the Name of Allah I start eating. O’ Allah, turn this food into such blessing that I might thank you and through it we Muslims attain the blessings of Paradise.”

While eating, he would either sit the way one sits in prayer or at times he would place his left leg and feet underneath, while sitting upon it, he would raise his knee and while eating in such posture he would say,  “I am a servant of (Allah) and eat like servants (before Him).” He never ate hot food and would advise others that, “eat your food when it is cold, because Allah has not blessed hot food.” He would eat from the plate with three or four fingers and he would pick up food lying in from of him in the plate. He never ate with two fingers. Dates and milk formed his staple diet. However, meat was his favorite food and he would say that it increases hearings and is also king of all the dishes. Amongst vegetables, he ate pumpkin a great deal, and also enjoyed eating game birds, though he never hunted them himself. While eating he would not lower his head, he would take the meat chunk to his mouth and eat it after proper chewing. He did not eat kidneys, reproductive organs, glands, and blood of animals.

After having finished eating he used to clean his plate or parts of it in front of him with his fingers by consuming minutest port of left-over from the meat or dish. Afterwards he would lick his fingers and when clean he would wipe them with a towel or piece of cloth before washing them. After finishing eating he would recite the following prayers:

“Allah be thanked; O’ Allah, all praises are for You; You have fed me and fed me to my fill, gave me water to my fill; Allah be praised and we are not amongst the ungrateful nor have we become independent of You.”

The Holy Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, always washed his hands before eating but never wiped them with a towel. Instead he let them dry and while drinking water he would finish it in three stages and even then he never gulped it down but sucked it down gradually. Whilst drinking he never breathed in or out in the drinking vessel.

Most significant thing about his eating manner and description was that he did not like to see two dishes at once on the dining cloth, saying, “I do not forbid but am afraid of giving account of all that on the Day of Judgment and with that I prefer humility, because he who humbles himself before Almighty, he is raised in honor and dignity by Him.”

In his home he never demanded food of any particular kind; whatever was placed before him, he ate and drank with thanks.

Send mail to hunafaa@hotmail.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 1996 Al Adaab: Living Islam According to the Minhaj of the True Salaf as Salihoon
Last modified: 08/29/06