Eating and drinking

Bismillah Ar-rahman Ar Rahim,
As salamu Alaikum w rwb,
Today’s topic is about the etiquettes of eating, drinking and host according to the Qur’an and Sunnah.

I have broken it down to few paragraphs:
· Gratefulness for the Halal food
· Uttering the name of Allah
· Manners of sitting while eating and drinking
· How we should eat and drink
· Serving food-
· Honoring guest
· Behaviors as a guest
· Right of the guest
· Right of the Host
· Accepting invitations
· Supplication for the host.



Halal food:
As Muslim we know that we must eat Halal food:
Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah's Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal), for sure it is Fisq (a sin and disobedience of Allah). And certainly, the Shayatin (devils) do inspire their friends (from mankind) to dispute with you, and if you obey them [by making Al-Maitah (a dead animal) legal by eating it], then you would indeed be Mushrikun (polytheists); [because they (devils and their friends) made lawful to you to eat that which Allah has made unlawful to eat and you obeyed them by considering it lawful to eat, and by doing so you worshipped them; and to worship others besides Allah is polytheism]. Surah 6:121

It is very common for Muslim in the west, out of laziness or just rebellion they chose to eat food form the supermarkets and attribute it to the verse in surah madiah:
Made lawful to you this day are At-Tayyibat [all kinds of Halal (lawful) foods, which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits)]. 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……. Surah 5 verse 5.
I think the thing to remember is that some ayat cancel out other ayat, we ought to be careful about using the ‘unclear’ verses for our own means. I do not see what stops a perfectly capable human being from travelling to get meat that is lawful and health for us.
Gratefulness:
O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that we have provided you with, and be grateful to Allah, if it is indeed He whom you worship.
Surah baqarah verse 172.
This ayah reminds us about the endless blessing that Allah (swt) provide us with and the need to be grateful….

And in this hadith (read out loud)
……
By him in whose hand is my life, on the Day of Judgment you will be questioned about these blessings. You come out of your homes because of hunger, but before you returned, you had enjoyed those blessings. (Muslim)

Utter the name of Allah azza WA jal
Not only demonstrate Gratitude, but it also is dua’ which another form or worship. When it is said that Islam is a complete way of life and is a mercy to mankind we tend not to understand these terms. It is a way of Life because with Islam everything we do should be done with the right intention, the pleasure of Allah azza WA jal and seeking blessings in the food we eating.
The prophet (saw) said:
Gather upon your food; utter Allaah’s name, it would then be blessed for you-
Recorded Ahmad, Abu dawood and others
So really and truly even when we eat or drink we should do it with Ihsan and Taqwah.

Manners of eating and drinking

First of all we need to purify ourselves and where we eating from. Obvious cleaning our hands and utensils we use for eating.
It is important to keep a good company throughout our lives, as Muslims we are not permitted to sit where alcohol is served according tot his hadith;
Ibn Umar (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said;
Whoever believes in Allah and the last day may not sit at a table on which Khmar (alcoholic beverage) is circulating.
( Recorded by Ahmad, At tirmidthee and others.
Eating on the floor (humbling oneself) and eating around the edges:
According to Ibn Qudaamah sitting on the floor is given preference to sitting at the table because it is close to what the prophet (saw) used to do. This makes people more humbled.
Also according to the hadith reported by Abdullah Ibn Busr: When a Bedouin asked the Prophet (saw0 why he was sitting with his knees and toes touching floor whilst eating He (saw) told him :
Allah has fashioned me an honored servant (of his) and had not made me a stubborn oppressor.
Then he said:
Eat from around the edges (of the platter), and leave the raised part (the food center) – it will be blessed for you. (Recorded by Abu dawood)
We should avoid reclining, Abu jahayfah wahb bin Abdullah (ra) related that the Prophet (saw) said “
I do not eat whilst reclining. (Bukhari)
Avoid standing, Anas Ibn malik related that the Prophet (saw) forbade a person from drinking whilst standing. Qataadah (ra) asked Anas (ra); what are the orders about eating, Anas replied: that would be worst. (Muslim)
How we should eat and drink

It is impermissible to eat or drink from gold or silver utensils,
Narrated by Umm salamah (ra) that messenger of Allah (swt):
He who eats or drinks in a gold or silver utensil is only echoing in his stomach the hell-fire (bukhari and Muslim)
We should eat with our right hands, for obvious hygienic reasons and because if a command by Allah azza WA jal’s messenger.
Ibn Omar (ra) reported Allah (swt) Messenger said:
When anyone of you intends to eat, he should eat with his right hand, and when he intends to drink, he should drink with his right had; verily Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hands (Muslim)
We should eat with three fingers and licking the last remains
Jaabir (ra) relates that the prophet (saw) ordered his followers to lick their fingers and clean their plates (after having their meals) he added:
You do not know which part of food is blessed (Muslim)
We must point out that eating with utensils is considered a Mubaah ( permissible), however as we stated before Islam is a way of life, the way of all Prophets (pbut) thus trying to copy them would be the best for us after all Allah (swt) is reported to have said in the attempt of interpretation of the Qur’an that:
And Verily, you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) are on an exalted (standard of) character.
(سورة القلم, Al-Qalam, Chapter #68, Verse #4)
This we should excel is trying to be 0.00001% like Him in sha Allah.
Retrieving and eating the fallen food
Jaabir reported that the Prophet (saw) said:
Satan is always present with you in all of your affairs, even when you eat therefore, if you drop a morsel, pick it up cleanse it of any dirt, and eat it do not leave it for the devil. When you finish eating, lick your fingers, for you do not know in which part of the food is the blessing. (Muslim)
Eating Moderately;
Narrated Ibn Umar (ra) that the messenger of Allah (swt) said:
A believer eats in one intestine (eye satisfied with little food), and a kaafir eats in seven intestines (i.e.: eats too much). (Abu Dawood).

Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bihamdika, 'ash-hadu 'an laa 'ilaaha 'illaa 'Anta, 'astaghfiruka wa 'atoobu 'ilayka.