Sunnah In the Manner of Eating & Drinking

When I converted I learnt about halal and haram slaughtered meats (and even candies), to eat with my right hand, and to say "bismillah" before eating and "alhamdulilah" after. Recently I have been doing research into the diet of the Prophet Mohamed salalahu alahi wa salaam, and discovered that some acts of the sunnah are fading away, even in Muslim countries like the one I live in. So I compiled a list of my research findings and just thought I'd share it with ya'll. Sorry if it isn't terribly interesting but some of it I never knew;)

Sunnah in the manner of eating:

WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE A MEAL

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The blessings in the meal is by washing before and after it." (Hadith- Abu Dawud)

WHEN A MEAL IS SERVED AS THE PRAYER IS CALLED, TAKE THE MEAL FIRST

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "If the Iqama for prayer is proclaimed and supper is served, take your supper first." [Hadith-Sahih Al Bukhari 7.374, Narrated Aisha]

INVOKE THE NAME OF ALLAH for BLESSING IN FOOD

The Apostle of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then said:
"When one of you eats food, he should say: O Allah, bless us in it, and give us food (or nourishment) better than it." [Hadith-Abu Dawud, Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas]

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you eats, and he forgets to mention the name of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala then let him say, 'Bismillahi Awwalahu wa Aakhirahu.' (Narrated in Ashraf al-Wasail ila-fahm al-Shamail, p269).

DO NOT EAT OFF OF OR SERVE FOOD FROM SILK OR OR GOLD CUPS, PLATES OR UTENSILS

When a Magian served Hudhaifa water, Hudhaifa refused the cup, and said he would not have done so but he heard the Prophet Mohamed, peace and blessings be upon him, say "Do not wear silk or Dibaja, and do not eat or drink in silver or golden vessels, and do not eat in plates of such vessels, for such things are for the unbelievers in this worldly life, and for us in the hereafter." [Hadith- Sahih Al Bukhari 7.337, Narrated Abdur Rahman bin Abi Laila]

SIP AND DON'T GULP, AND DO NOT BREATHE INTO A DRINK OR SOUP

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would drink in three draughts and would refrain from breathing into the glass, but would do so away from it Sayyidina Anas ibn Malik radiyallahu anhu relates that Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam drank water in three breaths (i.e. in three gulps/sips) and used to say, "It is more pleasing and satisfying in this manner."

DON'T LEAN ON SOMETHING WHILE EATING

Allah's Apostle, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "I do not take my meals while leaning [against something]." [Hadith-Sahih Al Bukhari 7:310, Narrated Abu Juhaifa]

IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF WHAT A FOOD IS, ASK, and it is halal to refuse something one personally dislikes even if it is halal

He went with Allah's Apostle, peace and blessings be upon him, to the house of Maymoonah, who was with his and Ibn Abbas' aunt. He found with her a roasted mastigure which her sister Hufaida bint Al-Harith had brought from Najd. Maymoonah presented the mastigure before Allah's Apostle, peace and blessings be upon him, who rarely started eating any (unfamiliar) food before it was described for him. (But that time) Allah's Apostle, peace and blessings be upon him, stretched his hand towards the mastigure whereupon a lady from among those who were present, said, "You should inform Allah's Apostle of what you have presented to him. O Allah's Apostle! It is the meat of a miastigue." (On learning that) Allah's Apostle withdrew his hand from the meat of the mastigure. Khalid bin Al-Walid said, "O Allah's Apostle! Is this unlawful meat to eat?" Allah's Apostle replied, "No, but it is not found in the land of my people, so I do not like it." [Hadith-Sahih Al Bukhari 7.303, Narrated Khalid bin Al Walid]

RESPECT [halal] FOOD AS A GIFT FROM ALLAH, do not criticize it or complain about it

"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) never ever complained regarding any food, if he liked it he ate it, if he did not he left it." [Hadith-Abu Dawood]

DO NOT EAT OR DRINK WITH YOUR LEFT HAND

Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said "When one eats then he should eat with his right, and when one drinks then he should drink with his right hand." [Hadeeth- Al Bukhari & Muslim]

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "When of you eats let him eat with his right hand, for verily Satan eats and drinks with his left hand." [Hadeeth-Abu Dawud]

EAT WITH THREE FINGERS, THE INDEX, THE MIDDLE FINGER, & THE THUMB

Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, eating with three fingers (i.e, the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger) and licking them after having finished the food. [Hadith-Muslim]

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ate food, he would lick his three fingers [Hadith-Muslim].

*If Rasoolulah ate with more than or less than three fingers why did he not lick all of them? A. He wouldn't have because he stressed the practice of licking the fingers for the blessing of the food.

EAT FOOD FROM THE OUTSIDE TO THE MIDDLE OF THE PLATE

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you eats let him not partake from the middle of the plate, rather take from around it, for the blessings descend from upon the middle of it." (Hadeeth- Abu Dawud )

DO NOT WASTE FOOD, & FOOD THAT FELL ON CLEAN DIRT IS NOT UNCLEAN

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) commanded the licking of fingers and the gleaning of the dish, saying, "You do not know in which portion the blessing lies.'' [Hadeeth-Muslim].

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Satan appears at everything done by you; he appears even at one's dinner. When a morsel of any of you falls, he should pick it up and remove any dirt on it, and then eat it. He should not leave it for Satan, nor should he wipe his hand with the towel until he has licked his fingers, for he does not know in what portion of the food the blessing lies.'' [Hadeeth- Muslim]

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, said: "Whoever eats in a plate let him (at the end) lick it, the plate will ask forgiveness for him." (Hadeeth- Ahmad)

DO NOT OVER EAT: do not eat until you feel full

Quran Al Kareem: "Eat and drink but not to excess " (7:32)

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "the believer eats to fill one intestine and the disbeliever eat to fill seven." [Hadeeth- Muslim]

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Eating too much is misfortune." (Shuab al-Iman of Bayhaqi)

On the authority of Al-Miqdaam ibn Maadiy-Karib who said: I heard the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying: "No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath." [Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa'I, Ibn Majah – Hadith sahih]

Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "0 people, beware of overeating! For it will make you lazy in your salah (prayer), weaken your body and make you unhealthy. And indeed, Allah dislikes the obese person (ie obesity caused by eating too much, not medical reasons). Rather, be modest when it comes to eating, because it is closer to righteousness, far away from extravagance and it will make you stronger in worshipping Allah. Verily, you will perish when your desires become dearer to you than your religion." (lbn abi al-Dunya)

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Food for one is enough for two and food for two is enough for three and food for three is enough for four." [Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa'I, Ibn Majah – Hadith sahih]

BLESSINGS ARE FOR THOSE WHO SHARE THEIR FOOD WITH OTHERS

The Companions of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon them) complained: 'O Messenger of Allah, we eat but are not satiated.' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Perhaps you eat separately?' They replied that they did. He said: 'Eat your food together and say Bismillah before you start, that will bring blessings into your food.'" (Hadeeth-Abu Dawud)

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Food for one is enough for two and food for two is enough for three and food for three is enough for four." [Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa'I, Ibn Majah – Hadith sahih]

THANK ALLAH AFTER FINISHING A MEAL OR FOOD OR DRINK OF ANY KIND

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, Allah is pleased with His servant when he eats a morsal and praises hims, and when he takes a drink and then praises him (Al-Hamdulillah)." (Hadeeth- Abu Dawud)

AFTER EATING RINSE THE MOUTH WITH WATER, & one does not have to make wudu/ablution after the act of eating

We went out with Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings be upon him) to Khaibar, and when we reached As-Sahba', the Prophet asked for food, and he was offered nothing but Sawiq. We ate, and then Allah's Apostle stood up for the prayer. He rinsed his mouth with water, and we too, rinsed our mouths. Narrated Suwaid; We went out with Allah's Apostle to Khaibar, and when we reached As-Sahba', which (Yahya says) is one day's journey from Khaibar, the Prophet asked for food, and he was offered nothing but Sawiq which we chewed and ate. Then the Prophet asked for water and rinsed his mouth, and we too, rinsed our mouths along with him. He then led us in the Maghrib prayer without performing ablution again.

[Hadith-Sahih Al Bukhari 7.365, Narrated Suwaid bin An Numan]