Manners of Eating

1. Wash hands before and after eating,
2. Do not use towel after washing hands before eating,
3. The hands should be dried up with a towel after washing them at the end of eating session,
4. The hands should be washed both up to the wrist. Some people wash only one hand and some wash only the pores of the fingers. This is against the tradition of the Glorious Prophet of Islam (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
5. It is better if the man himself pours water on his own hands one by one,
6. An impure man (who needs a bath after the discharge of semen) should also wash his mouth along with both the hands. The menstruating woman need not wash her mouth before taking meals,
7. It is advisable to begin the washing of hands from the younger members before the start of dinner. The washing of hands after the food should start from the elders,
8. Recite Bismillah in a louder voice so that co-eaters may also follow the recitation,
9. Don’t keep any dish over the bread,
10. Don’t wipe off hands or knife with the bread,
11. It is against the table manners to eat with an uncovered head or using a pillow as a support,
12. Eating only the middle portion of bread by throwing the rest is not desirable,
13. Start eating as soon as the bread is served, without waiting for the curry. That is why it is better to serve the bread at the end of service,
14. Start eating from one side of the bowl or plate and not from the middle of the utensil,
15. Start eating with the salt and finish eating with salt as it drives away seventy diseases,
16. It is undesirable to eat things while walking on the road or standing at public places.

Manners of Drinking

Sayyiduna Anas (radi Allahu anhu) reported that Allah’s Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) used to take three breaths in a drink. (Agreed) Muslim added in a narration: He used to say that it is highly thirst removing, most conducive to health and most digestive.

Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn-e-Abbas (radi Allahu anhuma) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) prohibited drinking from the mouth of a skin-carrier. (Agreed)

Sayyiduna Abu Sa’eed Khudri (radi Allahu anhu) reported that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) forbade drinking by upsetting the water-pots. And he added in a narration: ”And its upsetting is to upset its head and then to take drink from it”. (Agreed)

Sayyiduna Anas (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) prohibited a man to drink in a standing posture.  (Muslim)

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Glorious Prophet of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: “None of you shall drink standing. Whoever forgets, let him vomit.” (Muslim)

Sayyidah Umm-e-Salmah (radi Allahu anha) reported that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Whoever drinks in a silver cup, the Hell-Fire will flow in his belly with noise.”(Agreed)

Sayyiduna Hudhaifah (radi Allahu anhu) reported: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) say, “Don’t put on silk and embroidered silk, and drink not in cups of gold and silver, and take no food in plates made thereof, because they are for them (unbeliever) in this world and they are for you in the next world”. (Agreed)

Sayyiduna Ibn-e-Abbas (radi Allahu anhuma) reported that the Holy Prophet of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) forbade to take breath or to give out breath in drinking pot. (Abu Da’ood)

In another narration he reports: The Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: Don’t take drink in one breath like the drinking of camel, but take drink twice or thrice and utter “Bismillah” when you drink and utter “Alhamdu Lillah” when you finish.

Unlawful Food

“The great principle for knowing what is lawful and unlawful food is that what the Holy Quraan and Hadith prohibited is unlawful and what is besides that is lawful”. There are certain things, which have not been expressly permitted or prohibited.  These are doubtful things. These are considered as Mubah or simply lawful. There are two things introduced by jurists between lawful and unlawful things: One is Mubah, near the lawful things and the other is Makrooh, near the unlawful things, but nevertheless lawful. The abominable things being near the unlawful things should be avoided as far as possible by pious Muslims, as none should even go to the neighbourhood of the places of destruction or epidemics. In that case, there is but little space to fall into illegality. The pious Muslims should not go even to the borderline of illegality. The Mubah things are lawful and can be taken if constitution and climate permit.

The effect of food and drink upon the body and temperaments is wonderful. The medical men therefore prescribe special diets for patients, so that indiscriminate diet may not injure the body. Different things have got different properties for different uses according to the requirements of men, and they have naturally got different effect on body. As soundness of mind depends on soundness of body, therefore food and drink may be said to be one of the principal causes, which lead a man to vice, and virtue. The control of food and drink is the control of the vices and promotion of virtues.

Almighty Allah and His Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) therefore prescribed such food for men as are conducive to them from a temporal and religious point of view. This is also the reason why lawful food, unlawfully acquired, has been made unlawful as it greatly affects the moral tendency of a man.

The Holy Quraan and Hadith have expressly prohibited the following foods and things:

1. Food on which Allah’s Name is not taken or meat of a lawful animal or bird which is not slaughtered in the Name of Allah. The Holy Quraan says: And don’t eat of that on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned. That is surely a transgression. (6:122)
2. Everything which is offered to idols.
3. All animals, which die of themselves without slaughter in the Name of Allah. These include also animals strangled to death, or beaten to death, or killed by a fall, or attacked by horns and killed, or torn to death by beasts.
4. All bloods flowing.
5. All beasts and birds of prey; all quadrupeds that seize prey with teeth, and all birds which seize it with talons, viz., foxes, hyenas, elephants, weasels, kites, crows, raven, crocodiles, insects, domestic asses, mules, swines, and men.
6. All unclean things repugnant to health and morality, viz., dogs, cats, mules, horses, asses, lizards, swines, etc.

In support of these, the following Quraanic verses are quoted: “Forbidden to you is that which dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of swine, and that on which any other than Allah has been invoked, and the strangled animal, and that beaten to death, and that killed by a fall, and that killed by being smitten with horn, and that which wild beasts have eaten except what you slaughter.“ (5: 3)

There is a reservation in case of extreme necessity, such as possibilities of death for want of food. In that circumstance, a small quantity of unlawful things, which can barely save life, becomes lawful. The Holy Quraan says: “But whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring, nor exceeding the limit, no sin shall be upon him.” (2: 173)

It so happens sometimes that the food is being served and suddenly some stranger or guest enters. The master of the house invites the newcomer to join. If the master does not invite the stranger, it is considered a very bad manner. Invitation to a Muslim brother to food is a virtuous thing, but this invitation should not be for the name’s sake. This is also a custom these days that the stranger who is invited to join the food says: “No thanks!” or say “Bismillah”. The scholars have prevented us not to say that. Anybody who is invited to join food should say, “May Allah bless you with abundance in food.”

If a man is too hungry to go out and ask the people to help him, in that case it is abiding on those persons who know his condition to provide him with food. If the man dies of hunger, the persons who knew his condition but did not give him food, would be answerable to Almighty Allah.

Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) asked Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) what were the things, which we cannot refuse to others. He said: “Water, salt and fire.” She said: “O Allah’s Apostle (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)! Why can’t we refuse salt and fire to others?” He said: One who gives others a share in his fire, it is as if he has given in Sadaqa the entire stuff cooked on that fire, and he who gives others a share in his salt, it is as if he has given in Sadaqa the complete dish processed with that salt; and he who quenches the thirst of a Muslim at a place where water is not available, it is as if he resurrects a dead. (Ibn-e-Majah)

Sayyiduna Abu Waqed Laithi (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) came to Madina and they had liking for humps of camels and for cutting the tails of sheep. He said: “What is taken off from animals while they are alive is a dead thing. It shall not be taken” (Tirmidi, Abu Da’ood)

Lawful Foods

There are three kinds of things which are generally consumed by men, viz.

1. things of mines,
2. vegetables and crops grown from the earth, and
3. animals.

The first two kinds are lawful except what is injurious to health, life and intelligence. Intoxicating drugs cause harm to intelligence and are, therefore, unlawful. Poisonous plants are injurious to life and they are, therefore, unlawful.

Among lawful things, there should be some sort of discrimination for the sake of health according to taste and repugnance. Anything distasteful or repugnant to nature should not be eaten, as it may injure health although the thing to be taken is lawful. This version finds corroboration with The Holy Quraan: “O People! Eat the lawful and good things out of what is in the earth.” (2:57)

Imam Maalik (alaihir rahmah) and others hold that all aquatic animals are lawful except sea-dog and sea-hog. Imam Shafi’i (alaihir rahmah) maintains that all aquatic animals are lawful without discrimination. Imam-e-A’zam Abu Hanifa (alaihir rahmah) holds that fish, which die by accident and float, are lawful but abominable. Sayyiduna Abu Zubair (radi Allahu anhu) reported from Sayyiduna Jaabir (radi Allahu anhu) who said that the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Eat what the sea throws up (fish) and is left by the tide, and don’t eat what dies therein and floats.” (Abu Da’ood, Ibn-e-Majah)

Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn-e-Abbas (radi Allahu anhuma) reported that the pre-Islamic Arabs used to eat some things and leave other things out of dislike. Then, Allah sent His Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and sent down His Book and made lawful His lawful things and made unlawful his unlawful things. Whatever He made lawful is lawful and whatever He made unlawful is unlawful, and whatever He remained silent is allowable. He recited, “O Say: I don’t find any thing prohibited in what was revealed to me for an eater except what dies of itself.” (The Quraan, 6:146)

Inter-Dining

As a necessary corollary to the recognition of universal brotherhood of the human race under the common Laws of Almighty Allah , Islam throws open its dining mat to all irrespective of caste, creed, colour and social position. Every member of the Islamic Commonwealth is equally entitled to partake of his food in the same dining mat.

The Apostle of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) had a big tray, which could be carried by four men. All the Muslims present used to partake of food in that tray, each man eating from its side. So far as the dining table of the followers of other religions is concerned, the Muslims are allowed to partake of their food except what has been made unlawful to be placed in the dining mat of the Muslims themselves.

The Holy Quraan has not at all prohibited this inter-dining, nor has the Hadith. On the contrary, the Holy Quraan declares: “This day all the good things are allowed to you, and the food of those who have been given the Book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them.” (5:5)

Sayyiduna Abu Th’alabah (radi Allahu anhu) reported: I asked: O Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)! We are certainly travellers and pass by the Jews, Christians and the Magians. So we don’t find but their utensils. He replied: If you don’t find other than those things, wash them with water and eat and drink in them. (Tirmidi)

EARNING LIVELIHOOD

Almighty Allah sent provisions for men and animals along with their creation in this world. But for His infinite mercy, we would not have at all breathed for a single moment. The Almighty Providence placed everything in this world, which can supply food to animals for their upkeep. The Holy Quraan says: “He provides you from where you do not know.” (65:3)

DIGNITY OF MANUAL LABOUR

All the blessed Prophets of Allah (alaihimus salaam) worked with their own hands for livelihood, because there is no better food than that acquired by one’s manual labour.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: Whoso gives alms of a handful of dates from lawful earnings, verily Allah accepts it with great dignity. Then, He fosters it for its owner just as one of you fosters his chickens, till they become huge like mountains. (Agreed)

Sayyiduna Rafe’ Bin Khadij (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Glorious Prophet of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: Price of a dog is impure, earning of a prostitute is impure, and earning of a cupper is impure. (Muslim)

Sayyiduna Jaabir (radi Allahu anhu) reported that Allah’s Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: No flesh, which has grown out of unlawful things, has got better claim to Hell Fire.(Darimi) This means that the flesh nourished by unlawful food shall enter Paradise after suffering in Hell for sometime. It does not mean that it will never be able to enter Paradise.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Apostle of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: Whoso seeks the world in a lawful manner abstaining from begging and striving for his family and being sympathetic to his neighbour, he will meet the Almighty Allah (Azzawajal) on the Resurrection Day while his face will be like the moon in full-moon lit night, and whoso seeks the world in a lawful manner, seeking wealth boastfully out of show, he will meet the Almighty Allah (Azzwajal) while He would be wrathful to him. (Bay’haqi)

AMASSING OF WEALTH

The Holy Quraan says: Those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah’s way, announce to them a painful punishment. A day will certainly come when these shall be heated up in the fire of hell and their foreheads, sides and backs shall be branded with them. They will be told: This is what you have stored up for yourselves; taste, then, what you have hoarded. (9:34-36) It is abominable to hoard up wealth on the part of a true God-fearing man, because hoarding implies a little want of faith in Almighty Allah  as the Great Giver of Sustenance. The Holy Quraan says: Will you distribute the mercy of your Lord? We distribute among them their livelihood in the life of this world. (43: 32)

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Holy Prophet of Islam (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) used to store up nothing for tomorrow. (Tirmidi)

Sayyiduna Ammar Bin Yassar (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: Food, bread and meat were sent down from Heaven, and they were ordered neither to waste; but they wasted and stored up for tomorrow. So they were metamorphosed into apes and swines. (Tirmidi)

There is nothing wrong from the Islamic point of view in being rich, provided that one makes the right use of one’s riches. Furthermore, to be rich is not synonymous with the hoarding of money, whether it is for the modern currency type or silver and gold. The two are different. What does, then, constitute hoarding? According to eminent scholars and commentators of the Holy Quraan, the payment of Zakaah makes all the difference. If one pays the Zakaah of his wealth on time, this payment serves as purification of the money and ensures that he is not included among those mentioned in the verse.

Imam Bukhari (alaihir rahmah) relates on the authority of Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn-e-Omar (radi Allahu anhuma) that this warning was applicable before legislation of Zakaah. When Zakaah was made a duty, Allah made it serve as purification of money. Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn-e-Omar (radi Allahu anhuma) is further reported to have said: The wealth from which Zakaah is paid is not hoarded, even if it is stored under seven layers of earth. What is in a person’s hands is hoarded if he does not pay Zakaah for it.

BEGGING

Islam finds poverty repugnant and does not allow its followers to accept it as a matter of fact, but requires them to take positive action to stamp it out.

Begging is a nuisance for prevention of which the modern societies are trying to promulgate enactment. The Prophet of Islam (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) promulgated the sound policy in this matter, which has baffled the most fertile brains of the world.  He made it unlawful except in case of deserving persons. At the same time he left instructions to the rich not to return a beggar. The Holy Quraan says: “As for a beggar, don’t drive him.” (93:10)

As a general rule, begging is unlawful in Islam for the following reasons:

1. By begging, a man loses reliance upon Almighty Allah and complains indirectly against Almighty Allah gifts which are interwoven in his very person and all around the universe. Instead of turning to Almighty Allah for assistance and help, he turns towards men. Therefore, The Holy Quraan says: “And He will give him provision from whence he thinks not; and whoever trusts in Allah He is sufficient for him.” (65:3)
2. By begging, the beggar lowers himself before his fellow creatures and brings himself in contemptible estimation of the people.
3. By begging, the beggar gives uneasy trouble to one begged. The latter feels annoyance and is put between two horns of a dilemma to pay or not to pay. If alms are paid, there is loss in property, and if not paid, there is loss in fame and fear of Almighty Allah.

Sayyiduna Zubair Bin Awam (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Glorious Prophet Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: That one of you takes his rope and then comes with a load of wood upon his back and sells it is better than to beg of men whether they give or reject him. (Bukhari)

Sayyiduna Qabisah Bin Makhareq (radi Allahu anhu) reported: I became surety for a debt and came to the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to ask him about it. He said, Wait till Zakaah comes to us, and then we shall order something thereof for you. Then he said, O Dear Qabisah! Surely begging is not lawful except for one of these three reasons  a man who becomes surety for a debt; it then becomes lawful for him to beg till he gets it, after which he shall withhold; a man having met with a misfortune which has ruined his property it is lawful for him to beg till it enables him to get livelihood (or he said means of livelihood); and a man who meets with dire necessity, till three men of understanding of his tribe stand up (and say): Dire necessity afflicted such one- it is lawful for him to beg till he finds means for livelihood. O Qabisah! What is besides these in begging is unlawful and its owner eats unlawful things. (Muslim)

Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn-e-Omar (radi Allahu anhuma) reported that Allah’s Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said while he was on the pulpit speaking about charity and refraining from begging: “The upper hand is better than the lower, and the upper hand is that which gives and the lower is that which begs.” (Agreed)

Sayyiduna Samorah Bin Jundub (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: Whoso begs of men having sufficient means will come on the Resurrection Day with his begging as scratch wounds or bruises on his face. It was questioned: O Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)! What is sufficient for him? He said: Fifty Dirhams or their price in gold. (Abu Da’ood, Ibn-e-Majah, Nisai)

SHAKING HANDS

The people of Yemen called on the Glorious Prophet of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and introduced for the first time the custom of shaking hands. (Abu Da’ood) The Sahabah accepted this custom so extensively that Sayyiduna Anas bin Maalik (radi Allahu anhu) applied perfume in his hands only to shake hands with his friends. (Adaabul-Mufrad)

Sayyiduna Bara Bin Aazib (radi Allahu anhu) reported that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: When two Muslims shake hands with each other, they are pardoned of their sins before they separate.  (Ibne-Maja)

Sayyiduna Salmaan (radi Allahu anhu) reported that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: When a Muslim meets his Muslim brother and shakes hand, their sins fall down like the dry leaves from a tree during a storm, and their sins are forgiven even if these are equal to the foams of ocean.  (Tabraani)

Sayyiduna Qatada (radi Allahu anhu) reported: I asked Anas (radi Allahu anhu), Was it a custom of the companions of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to shake hands with one another? He said, Yes. (Bukhari)

According to authentic reports, the Beloved Habeeb (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) never shook hands with any woman who was not his wife or a close relative. Although there is no Hadith, which describes shaking hands with women as forbidden, the Holy Prophet’s (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) example should be the one for us to follow. One is highly encouraged to avoid shaking hands with members of the opposite sex.

SNEEZING AND YAWNING

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (radi Allahu anhu) reported that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: Allah(Azzawajal) likes sneezing and dislikes yawning: so if anyone of you sneezes and then praises Allah , every Muslim who hears him (praising Allah ) has to say,May Allah bestow His Mercy on you. But as regards yawning, it is from Shaytaan, so if one of you yawns, he should try his best to stop it, for when anyone of you yawns, Shaytaan laughs at him. (Bukhari)

If the one who sneezes is a Christian, Jew or any non-Muslim, respond by saying:“Yahdikumullah-o-wa-Yusleh Balakum” (May Allah give you guidance and make your children pious).

It is mentioned in the Hadith that any person who says “Alhamd-o-Lillahi Ala-Kull-e-Haalin” at the time of sneezing, he will never experience an earache or a toothache. It is unlawful to consider the sound of sneeze as a sign of bad omen.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: The yawning is from the Shaytaan. So when one of you yawns, he should try to restrain it as far as it lies in his power. (Muslim)

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (radi Allahu anhu) reported: At the time of sneezing, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) used to cover his mouth either with his hand or with a cloth and lowered his sound. (Tirmidi)

Sayyiduna Abu Sa’eed Khudri (radi Allahu anhu) reported that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: Keep your hand over your mouth while yawning as the Shaitaan enters an open mouth. (Muslim)