Manners (Part 1)
Chapter 7
Etiquette of eating and
drinking
20847: Is it permissible for
a woman to do her household duties when she is
junub?
Question:
Is it permissible for a woman to do her usual
household duties such as cooking, looking after
the children, and housework, before she does
ghusl following intercourse?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is haraam for the person who is junub (in
a state of impurity following sexual activity)
to pray, perform tawaaf, stay in the mosque,
recite Qur'aan or touch the Mushaf. Everything
else is permissible.
There is nothing wrong with a woman who is
junub cooking, looking after her house, taking
care of her children or fulfilling any other
needs. This is indicated by several pieces of
evidence including the following:
(a) It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) met him on one of the roads of
Madeenah when he was junub. He said: I turned
back and went and did ghusl, then I came. He
said: "Where were you, O Abu Hurayrah?" I said:
"I was junub and I did not like to sit with you
when I was not in a state of purity." He said,
"Subhaan Allaah, the Muslim does not become
impure." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 279; Muslim,
371.
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said: This indicates that
it is permissible to delay doing ghusl from the
time when it first becomes obligatory, and that
it is permissible for the one who is junub to go
about his business.
Fath al-Baari, 1/391.
It is better for the one who is junub to
hasten to do ghusl, lest he forgets that he is
junub. And it is recommended for him to do
wudoo' before he touches food and drink and
before going to sleep. That is better than doing
these things when he is junub. But this wudoo'
is not obligatory, rather it serves to reduce
the impurity, and it is mustahabb. There are a
number of ahaadeeth concerning that, including
the following:
(i) It was narrated that `Aa'ishah said: When
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) was junub and wanted to eat
or sleep, he would do wudoo' as for prayer.
(Narrated by Muslim, 305).
(ii) It was narrated from Ibn `Umar that
`Umar ibn al-Khattaab asked the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), "Can one of us go to sleep when he is
junub?" He said: "Yes, if he does wudoo' then he
can go to sleep when he is junub." (narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 283; Muslim, 306)
Al-Nawawi said: This indicates that it is
mustahabb to do wudoo' and to wash one's private
parts before doing all these things, especially
if the man wants to have intercourse with a wife
with whom he has not yet had intercourse. It is
definitely mustahabb to wash one's private part.
Our companions have stated that it is makrooh to
sleep, eat, drink or have intercourse before
doing wudoo', and these ahaadeeth indicate that.
There is no dispute among us that this wudoo' is
not obligatory. This is also the view of Maalik
and the majority. Sharh Muslim, 3/217
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
It is mustahabb for the one who is junub to
do wudoo' if he wants to eat, drink, sleep or
have intercourse again, but it is makrooh for
him to sleep if he has not done wudoo'. It was
proven in al-Saheeh that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
asked, "Can one of us go to sleep when he is
junub?" He said: "Yes, if he does wudoo' as for
prayer…"
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 21/343
See also question no. 6533.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
42958: He found a kaafir on
the road _ can he give him a ride?
Question:
If a person finds a non-Muslim person on the
road and he asks him for a ride, what is the
ruling? Is it permissible to eat food that has
been touched by kaafirs' hands?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said:
If you find a non-Muslim person on the road,
there is nothing wrong with you giving him a
ride, because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Allaah does not forbid you to deal justly
and kindly with those who fought not against you
on account of religion nor drove you out of your
homes. Verily, Allaah loves those who deal with
equity"
[al-Mumtahanah 60:8]
With regard to eating food touched by the
hands of kaafirs, it is permissible, because the
naajasah (impurity) of the kaafir is
metaphorical not physical.
From Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn `Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him), 3/44.
(www.islam-qa.com)
32736: Family restaurants
Question:
What is your opinion on taking my wife to a
restaurant, if there are booths? Please note
that we are committed Muslims.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Nowadays there has appeared among some Muslim
families and Muslim woman a phenomenon that is
foreign to the conservative Muslim society that
seeks to protect and shield women. It is the
phenomenon of going to family restaurants or
restaurants with family sections. The one who
examines the situation through the lens of
sharee'ah and with proper insight will see that
this involves a number of dangers and things
that are forbidden according to sharee'ah.
For example:
1 _ The barriers that are present in many of
these restaurants do not conceal women properly
as required by sharee'ah and screen them
completely from non-mahram men. That is either
because the barriers are too short or because
there is a gap at the bottom through which their
feet and legs can be seen, or they are too
transparent, so that it is possible to see
something of the woman's body; or parts of the
wall or screen are cut away in a design so that
it is possible to see through it.
In the family sections of some of these
restaurants there are no divisions at all
between the family tables, rather the walls are
between the place where men sit and the place
where families sit. Undoubtedly this arrangement
makes it possible for the members of one family
to see any member of another family.
2 _ It is well known that many of the woman
who sit in these family sections are careless
about proper Islamic hijab, and they show their
faces, hair, feet or even more than that, and
even most of the women who wear hijab uncover
their faces when eating, so if the walls are as
described above, then people will see that which
Allaah has forbidden them to uncover.
3 _ In most of these restaurants the waiters
_ who are men _ enter the place where women are
sitting to take down their orders or to bring
the food, and not all of them seek permission to
enter, and not all of the women cover themselves
every time a waiter comes in. Rather many woman
do not care about wearing hijab in front of men
of different nationalities.
4 _ These places have become frequented by
some immoral people, who may get to know a girl
and take her to these restaurants, pretending
that she is his wife, so these family sections
become a convenient place for those who seek to
do haraam things.
5 _ Some girls from rich families have
started to hold parties for their classmates
from school or college on various occasions in
these restaurants, and it is well known that
many of them do not adhere to proper Islamic
hijab, and some of their guardians are lenient
with these girls, on the grounds that they are
young, even though their physical appearance is
sufficient for there to be fitnah (temptation).
So each girl has a driver who takes her to the
family restaurant where the party is being held,
even though that involves a great evil.
6 _ In view of the large amount of money that
is spend in these meals _ especially since most
of these restaurants charge a great deal _ we
see that eating in these restaurants is a kind
of extravagance (israaf), in addition to the
fact that leftover food is usually thrown away,
unlike what would happen if these people were to
eat at home. Being economical is, as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said, one of the twenty-seven parts of
Prophethood.
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2010; this is a
saheeh hadeeth).
7 _ When women visit family restaurants this
leads to an increase in their going out of their
houses for no need. This goes against the words
of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
"And stay in your houses, and do not
display yourselves like that of the times of
ignorance"
[al-Ahzaab 33:33]
It is well known that sharee'ah does not want
women to have the habit of coming and going all
the time, because that leads to evil
consequences, one of the greatest of which is
the gradual loss of modesty.
8 _ The cleanliness and health benefits of
food made at home are much better than those of
food cooked in restaurants, since many of the
cooks in the so-called refined restaurants are
kaafirs who do not pay any attention to matters
of purity and impurity. Visitors to restaurants
often suffer from diarrhoea and food poisoning.
More important than all that is the fact that
those who eat in these restaurants do not know
what kind of meat is used in the food, unlike
food cooked at home, which is made where a
person can see it and know what it is.
Because of these concerns and others, the
Muslim should keep his family away from these
places and obey the words of Allaah
(interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Ward off yourselves
and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose
fuel is men and stones, over which are
(appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who
disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they
receive from Allaah, but do that which they are
commanded" [al-Tahreem 66:6]
Some may claim that this going out is for the
purpose of leisure and a change of scene, and
that the woman's husband or guardian will be
with her, and she will turn her back to the door
and the waiters in the restaurant will ask
permission before entering, and that she will
cover her face when they come in, and that she
will be wearing full hijab, or the staff will be
women, and that there will be no music in the
restaurant, or that the place where families sit
is a closed-off room, and that this going out
happens only once a month and will not become a
habit, and that the money that will be spent is
a moderate amount.
I do not want to be too strict in refuting
these claims, because there may in fact _ albeit
rarely _ some places where these precautions are
taken. But I will say that if we want to be
honest with ourselves and do the right thing
then what _ I wonder _ is the result of if we
compare what really happens with these
precautions. What is the ratio of those who
apply these precautions in real life? Even if
some good people do that in some restaurants,
what will the masses make of that?
I do not deny that there may sometimes be
cases of necessity _ and not the laziness of the
housewife _ when food from restaurants is
needed, such as when one is travelling, or
because of circumstances affecting the
housewife, but there are solutions which spare
us the need to take our womenfolk into the
restaurants, such as using home delivery
services, or bringing instant food to the house
or hotel room, whilst asking the women what they
want to have brought to them from the menu or
buffet. In general, going to the restaurant when
needed is completely different from the results
when one goes there by choice or for leisure.
I ask Allaah to help us to protect our
families and to help us to follow the truth and
to guide us to the straight path.
May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our
Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
25824: How sound is the
hadeeth "Praise be to Allaah who has fed me and
granted me provision"?
Question:
The dua reading after eating, "Alhamdulillah
hillazi atamani wa razaqanihe wa ja alani minal
muslimeen" is from weak hadeth but I have not
the proof of it. some one is asking for proof.
can please you explain it.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The wording of the hadeeth is: It was
narrated that Abu Sa'eed (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: When the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) ate or drank
something, he would say, `Al-hamdu Lillaah
illadhi at'amana wa saqaana wa ja'alana
Muslimeen (Praise be to Allaah Who has given
us food and drink and made us Muslims)."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3850; al-Tirmidhi,
3457.
Shaykh al-`Albaani said in his commentary on
al-Kalim al-Tayyib (189) by Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah:
Its isnaad is da'eef, because the narrators
were confused about it, as explained by
al-Haafiz in al-Tahdheeb; and by
al-Haafiz al-Mazzi before him in Tuhfat
al-Ashraaf, 3/353-354; and by Imam
al-Bukhaari before them in al-Taareekh
al-Kabeer, 1/1/353-354; and by al-Nasaa'i in
al-Yawm wa'l-Laylah, 288-290. And
al-Tirmidhi, despite his well known lenience,
did not class it as hasan,
There are similar ahaadeeth which are proven
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) concerning this matter, such as the
following:
- It was narrated from Abu Umaamah that when
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) had finished eating _ and one time he
said, When the table was cleared _ he would say,
"Al-hamdu Lillaah illadhi kafaana wa arwaana
ghayra makfiyyin wa laa makfoor (Praise be
to Allaah Who has satisfied our needs and
quenched our thirst. Your favour cannot be
compensated or denied)." And on one occasion he
said, "Al-hamdu Lillaahi rabbina ghayr mukfiyyin
wa laa muwadda'in wa la mustaghna rabbana
(Praise be to Allaah our Lord. Your favour
cannot be compensated, nor can be left, nor can
be dispensed with, O our Lord)." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 5459.
- It was narrated that Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari
said: When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) ate or drank
something, he would say, "Al-hamdu Lillaah
illadhi at'ama wa saqaa wa sawwaghahu wa ja'ala
lahu makhrajan (Praise be to Allaah Who has
given food and drink, dame it easy to swallow
and has made a way out for it).
Narrated by Abu Dawood (3851) and classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Saheehah
(2061).
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
13739: Eating leftovers from
a Thanksgiving meal so that it will not be
thrown away
Question:
My mother invites my family to eat on
Thanksgiven day after her guess are gone because
she doesn't want to waste the food. Is it
permissable for my family to go to her home or
eat the food left from her dinner?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. That is permissible,
because food is respectable and pure, and that
is better than throwing it away. It is
permissible to eat the food of the Christians
because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable
animals) of the people of the Scripture (Jews
and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is
lawful to them"
[al-Maa'idah 5:5]
So there is nothing wrong with that. Their
bread, their food, and whatever dishes and
sweets etc they cook are all good and pure, and
there is nothing wrong with them. But if the
food has been made for that celebration, it is
not permissible to be there at the time of the
party, but after the party it is permissible to
eat the food and that is better than throwing it
away.
Shaykh `Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen
(www.islam-qa.com)
21917: Eating from a table
Question:
What should a muslim do who wants to follow
the sunnah, but the people you are visiting are
not following the sunnah, for example they are
eating from a dining table. Do I have the right
to sit on the floor or should I follow the
housefolk?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) never ate at a
table. In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (6450) it
was narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: "The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) never ate at a
table (khiwaan) until he died and he
never ate soft bread until he died."
It says in `Awn al-Ma'bood: "The
khiwaan is a table made of wood with legs on
each side; eating from such a table is the habit
of those who live a life of luxury, so that they
do not have to bend over and tilt their heads
when eating."
There is no doubt that it is permissible to
eat at a khiwaan or at a high table, and
to eat soft bread. But the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) refrained from
those things out of humility and as a sign of
his giving up the pleasures of this world.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: "The fact that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) refrained from eating at tables and eating
soft bread meant that he was giving up the
pleasures of this world in return for the
pleasures of the abiding world (of the
Hereafter)."
This does not justify denouncing those who do
things like that. If a person visits people and
finds them eating at a table, there is nothing
wrong with him eating with them at the table.
They would find it very strange indeed if he
were to go away and sit on the floor on his own;
he should not make them do that, rather he
should accept their invitation and eat with
them. If he explains to them what the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said, and reminds them of asceticism (zuhd),
that is very good. And Allaah knows best. Islam
Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
21652: Is it permissible to
drink in one breath?
Question:
I come home thirsty and I drink a cup of
water in one breath. Is this OK?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) forbade breathing into one's drink.
A man said to him, "O Messenger of Allaah, my
thirst is not quenched in one breath." The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said to him: "Remove the cup
from your mouth, then take a breath." He said,
"What if I see specks in it?" He said, "Then
pour them out."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1887; classed as
saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilat
al-Saheehah, 385).
Shaykh al-Albaani said, discussing what we
learn from this hadeeth:
It is permissible to drink in one breath,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) did not denounce the man
when he said, "My thirst is not quenched in one
breath." If drinking in one breath were not
permissible, the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) would have explained that to
him, and he would have said, for example, "And
it is permissible to drink in one breath?!" That
would have been more appropriate than saying,
"Remove the cup from your mouth…" if that were
not permissible. What he did say indicates that
it is permissible to drink in one breath, and
that if he wants to take a breath he should do
so outside the vessel. This is what is clearly
stated in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him), who said: "The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: `When any one of you
drinks, let him not breathe into the vessel. If
he wants to take a breath, then let him remove
the cup from his mouth, then if he wants to
drink more he may do so." (al-Saheehah,
386).
Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath:
"Maalik used this as evidence to indicate
that it is permissible to drink in one breath.
Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated that doing so is
permissible from Sa'eed ibn al-Musayyib and a
group [of scholars]. `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Azeez
said: what he forbade was breathing into the
vessel, but if a person does not breathe into
the vessel, if he wishes he may drink in one
breath."
Furthermore, what was said above about it
being permissible to drink in one breath does
not contradict the fact that the Sunnah is to
drink in three breaths. Both are permissible,
but the latter is preferable, because of the
hadeeth of Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be
pleased with him) who said: "When he drank he
would take a breath three times, and he said,
that is more enjoyable and more healthy."
(Narrated by Muslim. Al-Silsilah
al-Saheehah, hadeeth no. 385, 386.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
9894: Is it Sunnah to sit on
the floor to eat?
Question:
i have a confusion regarding sunnah. two
knowledgeable men in usa said two different
things. i heard that sunnah is an action that if
you do it you are rewarded and if you don;t do
it , then there is no sin upon you. so about the
issue of following the Prophet in details such
as sitting on the floor to eat. the question was
posed to two different people here, both
knowledgeable, one of them said if you are
sitting on the floor to eat with the intention
of following the rasool then you will be
rewarded for it. the other shaykh said no there
is no reward for it because it is a worldly
matter. What is the correct opinion ? this is
important because if there is no reward i'd
rather sit on the table and eat or wear
non-sunnah clothes if it is merely a wordly
matter.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
1. The Muslim is required to follow the
example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) because he is the best
example for this ummah.
2. The scholars have divided the actions of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) into a number of categories:
a. Thoughts and ideas that cross the mind,
and physical movements such as how one moves
one's limbs and body. These are matters in which
there is no command to follow him and there is
no prohibition against doing so.
b. Matters which have nothing to do with
worship and have to do with human nature, such
as how one stands, sits, etc. It is not
commanded to follow the Prophet's example in
these matters, but according to the majority of
scholars it is permissible to do so.
c. Matters which may move beyond spontaneous
human actions to the field of legislation (being
prescribed in Islam) because the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) persisted
in doing them in a certain manner. These include
matters of eating, drinking, dressing and
sleeping, especially those concerning which the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) gave specific guidance. The correct view is
that these are included in matters which are
prescribed in Islam. This is the view of
al-Shaafa'i and was regarded as more correct by
al-Shawkaani in his book Irshaad
al-Fuhool. This category includes the
matters asked about in the question.
d. Matters which are known to be applicable
only to the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), such as continual fasting
[i.e., fasting for more than one day without
breaking the fast at night] and having more than
four wives. These apply only to him and not to
anyone else.
And there are other categories…
(Irshaad al-Fuhool by al-Shawkaani, p.
160).
3. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to eat
(sitting) on the ground.
And it was narrated that he said: "I eat as a
slave eats and I sit as a slave sits."
(Narrated by Abu Ya'laa, 8/318)
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by
al-`Allaamah al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy
on him) in al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 544.
It was also narrated that Anas ibn Maalik
said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) never ate at a khiwaan or a
sikrujjah, and he never had any soft bread." I
said to Qutaadah: "What did he used to eat
from?" He said, "A cloth (spread on the floor)."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5099).
A khiwaan is a kind of tray on which food is
placed.
A sikrujjah is a vessel in which appetizers
are placed.
In such matters it is not obligatory for the
Muslim to follow the example of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but
he may still do so. If a Muslim eats at a table,
there is no sin on him.
With regard to clothing, we are obliged to
dress differently from the people of the Book
and all other kaafirs, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
issued commands to that effect, and warned
against dressing like the kuffaar.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Whoever imitates a people is
one of them." (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4031)
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Irwaa' al-Ghaleel, 8/49.
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said to `Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr ibn al-`Aas:
"This is one of the garments of the kuffaar, do
not wear it."
Narrated by Muslim, 2077.
`Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased
with him) told `Utbah ibn Farqad: "Beware of the
manner of dressing of the people of shirk."
(Narrated by Muslim, 2069).
Conclusion:
It is mustahabb (recommended, encouraged) for
the Muslim to follow the example of the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) in the matters mentioned in the question,
i.e., eating and drinking (seated) on the
ground, but there is no sin in eating at a
table. With regard to clothing, the Muslim is
commanded to dress in Muslim clothes and to
dress differently than the mushrikeen.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
6503: Eating habits and diet
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him)
Question:
What were the diet and eating habits of the
Prophet , and his Companians?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet's guidance with regard to food is
perfect guidance. It was described by Ibn
al-Qayyim as follows:
When he put his hand in the food, he would
say, "Bismillaah (in the Name of Allaah),
and he told people to say this when eating. He
said, "When any one of you eats, let him mention
the name of Allaah. If he forgets to mention the
name of Allaah at the beginning, let him say
Bismillaahi fi awwalihi wa aakhirihi (in
the name of Allaah at its beginning and at its
end)." Saheeh hadeeth, narrated by al-Tirmidhi
(1859) and Abu Dawood (3767).
The correct view is that it is obligatory to
mention the name of Allaah (say
Bismillaah) when eating. The ahaadeeth
which state this are saheeh and are clear, with
no contradictions in them.
When he raised the food to his mouth, he
would say, "Al-hamdu Lillaahi hamdan
katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan fihi ghayri
makfiyyin wa laa muwadda' wa laa mustaghni `anhu
Rabbanaa `azza wa jall (Allaah be praised
with an abundant, beautiful, blessed praise. He
is the One Who is Sufficient, Who feeds and is
never fed, The One Who is longed for, along with
that which is with Him, and the One Who is
needed. He is Our Lord, may He be glorified).
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5142).
He never criticized food at all. If he liked
it, he would eat it, and if he did not like it,
he would leave it and not say anything. Narrated
by al-Bukhaari (3370) and Muslim (2064).
Or he would say, "I do not feel like eating
this." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5076) and Muslim
(1946).
Sometimes he would praise the food, as when
he asked his family for food, and they said, "We
have nothing but vinegar." He asked for it and
started to eat it, saying, "What a good food is
vinegar." Narrated by Muslim (2052)
He used to talk whilst he was eating, as is
seen from the report quoted above about vinegar.
And he said to his step-son `Umar ibn Abi
Salamah when he was eating with him: "Say
Bismillaah and eat from that which is in
front of you in the dish*." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (5061) and Muslim (2022). [* At the
time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), people used to eat together
from one dish, and children would sometimes
forget the correct etiquette. - Translator]
He would repeatedly urge his guests to eat,
as generous hosts do, and as is seen in the
hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, narrated by
al-Bukhaari, about the story of drinking milk,
where he repeatedly said to him, "Drink!" and he
kept telling him to drink until he (the guest)
said, "By the One Who sent you with the truth, I
have no more room for it!" Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (6087).
When he ate with others, he would not leave
until he had made du'aa' for them. He made du'aa
in the house of `Abd-Allaah ibn Bisr, and said:
"O Allaah, bless for them that which You have
provided for them, forgive them and have mercy
on them."
Narrated by Muslim (2042).
He commanded people to eat with their right
hands and forbade them to eat with their left
hands. He said, "The Shaytaan eats with his left
hand and drinks with his left hand." Narrated by
Muslim (2020). This implies that eating with the
left hand is haraam, and this is the correct
view, because the one who eats with his left
hand is either a shaytaan (a devil), or he is
imitating the Shaytaan.
It was also reported in a saheeh hadeeth that
he told a man who was eating with his left hand
in his presence, "Eat with your right hand!" The
man said, "I cannot." He said, "May you never be
able to!" _ and the man never lifted his right
hand to his mouth after that. Narrated by Muslim
(2021). If it was permissible (to eat with the
left hand), he would not have prayed against him
for doing so. It was the man's stubborn
arrogance that made him refuse to obey the
command, and this is the utmost disobedience
which deserved this prayer against him.
He commanded those who complained that they
never felt full to eat together and not
separately, and to mention the name of Allaah
(say Bismillaah) over the food so that He
might bless it for them." Narrated by Abu Dawood
(3764) and Ibn Maajah (3286). (See Zaad
al-Ma'aad, 2/397-406)
It was also reported that he said, "I do not
eat reclining." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5083.
He used to eat using the first three fingers
(of his right hand), which is the best way of
eating.
See: Zaad al-Ma'aad, 220-222. And
Allaah knows best.
The Prophet's guidance regarding diet:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) used to know what he was eating.
He used to eat what was good for him.
He used to eat enough to keep him going, but
no so much as to make him fat. Ibn `Umar
narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "The believer eats
in one stomach whilst the kaafir eats in seven."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5081) and Muslim
(2060).
He taught his ummah something to protect them
from diseases caused by eating and drinking. He
said: "The son of Adam does not fill any vessel
worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the
son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him
going. If he must do that (fill his stomach),
then let him fill one third with food, one third
with drink and one third with air." Narrated by
al-Tirmidhi (1381), Ibn Maajah (3349); classed
as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah
al-Saheehah (2265).
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
3020: Having the habit of
eating with one's left hand
Question:
Because of my nephews bad habit he has great
difficulty in eating with his right hand. At the
moment he uses his left hand when there is
nobody to remind him. I am worried about this,
so, what is the fiqh ruling concerning a person
who get used to eat with his left hand?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Doing good is a habit and doing evil is a
habit. Man is always either making progress or
falling behind. When a person gets used to doing
something, he becomes very fond of it and loves
it, and dislikes anything else. Then he thinks
that the thing he is not used to is not
possible, but this way of thinking is not right
and it goes against both the laws of Islam and
the facts of reality. Therefore the one who uses
his left hand to eat and drink should be taught
the Islamic ruling and should be reminded of the
hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) on this matter. When a man
ate with his left hand in his presence, the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, "Eat with your right hand." He said,
"I cannot." He said, "May you never be able to!"
Nothing was stopping him but his stubborn
arrogance, and he never raised his right hand to
his mouth after that. (Reported by Muslim,
3776). According to a report narrated by
al-Daarimi, "his right hand never reached his
mouth". This man suffered paralysis because of
the du'aa' of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him).
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: "In this hadeeth we have an indication
that it is allowed to pray against a person who
breaks a shar'i rule with no excuse. We also see
the principle of enjoining what is good and
forbidding what is evil in all situations, even
with regard to eating. It encourages us to teach
proper manners of eating to a person who is
eating if he is doing something wrong. The
hadeeth also teaches us that the Shaytaan eats
with his left hand, because of the hadeeth:
"When any one of you eats, let him eat with his
right hand, and when he drinks, let him drink
with his right hand, because the Shaytaan eats
with his left hand and drinks with his left
hand." (Reported by Muslim, 3764). The Shaytaan
eats with his left hand so the person who eats
with his left hand resembles the Shaytaan,
indeed the Shaytaan is sharing his food with
him. Ahmad reported with a hasan isnaad from
`Aa'ishah and attributed to the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Whoever
eats with his left hand, the Shaytaan eats with
him." (Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, commentary on
hadeeth 1721).
Moreover, the left hand should be reserved
for removing dirt, as when cleaning oneself
after going to the toilet (istinja') and blowing
one's nose and other kinds of cleaning oneself
and removing dirt. How can a person use that
which is used for removing dirt and impurities
for putting food in his mouth?
Hafsah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the
wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used
to use his right hand for eating, drinking and
getting dressed and his left hand for everything
else. (Reported by Abu Dawood, no. 30)
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:
"This is a fixed rule in sharee'ah. It has to
do with honourable things such as putting on
one's shirt, trousers and shoes, entering the
mosque, using siwaak, applying kohl, … combing
and styling one's hair, … shaving the head,
giving salaam at the end of prayer, washing
oneself in ghusl or wudoo', leaving the toilet,
eating, drinking, shaking hands, acknowledging
the Black Stone, and other things where we are
encouraged to use the right hand or start with
the right. As for the opposite [things that are
not honourable], such as entering the toilet,
leaving the mosque, blowing one's nose, washing
oneself after using the toilet, taking off one's
shirt, trousers and shoes, and so on, then we
should start with the left or use the left hand.
All of this has to do with honouring the right
hand or right side."
Some people may have a real problem that
prevents them from using their right hand, such
as being paralyzed and so on. In this case they
are excused and there is no blame on them.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"If he has an excuse for not eating and drinking
with his right hand, such as sickness or an
injury, then this is not makrooh…"
Most likely the problem of the boy you are
asking about has to do with habit, so try to get
him used to eating with his right hand and keep
on advising him and reminding him to do so. You
could seek the help of psychiatrists, because
some of them may have some useful ideas. We ask
Allaah to give you strength, May Allaah bless
our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
831: Adaab UlSharab
(drinking manners)
Question:
I am in sixth grade and am studying Islam. I
am currently working on a report on the Arabian
coffee ceremonies, and want to know more about
the subject.
Answer:
All Praises are Due to Allah. Drinking coffee
is a custom and not from the laws of Islam. If
drinking coffee in excess becomes dangerous to
the individual, then Islam prohibits it. There
are no ceremonies in Islam for coffee drinking
nor is drinking coffee from the particular
customs of the Muslims, since Muslims as well as
non-Muslims drink coffee. There are however
specific manners in the Islamic law concerning
drinking in general.
From amongst them are the following:
Drinking with the right hand.
To say Bismillah before you begin to drink.
Drinking at least three sips or more and not
drinking the entire drink at once.
To praise Allah after finishing the drink.
To drink sitting down.
The person giving the drink to others should
drink last.
The person passing out the drinks should
start on his right hand side when distributing
the drinks.
An individual should not drink from the
pitcher, but instead pour some of the drink into
a dish or cup, and then drink.
A person should not drink from gold or silver
dishes.
Your question dear young man and the
information you provided indicates that you are
without a religion and this is wrong because the
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) stated that you were born as a
Muslim and that this is your origin as well as
others besides you. This is the case, until
something happened to you to change that, such
as other incorrect religions like Judaism,
Buddhism, Christianity, or Magianism. Return
back to your true origin, read about Islam, and
establish prayer. I see that you have sufficient
wit and intelligence to know the truth and
implement it.
I ask Allah to guide you and open your heart
to Islam.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
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Introduction