The Book About the Etiquette of Eating

'Umar bin Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), said to me, "Mention Allah's Name (i.e., say Bismillah before starting eating), eat with your right hand, and eat from what is near you." <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>.

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When any of you wants to eat, he should mention the Name of Allah in the begining, (i.e., say Bismillah). If he forgets to do it in the beginning, he should say Bismillah awwalahu wa akhirahu (I begin with the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end)." <b>[At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]</b>.

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "If a person mentions the Name of Allah upon entering his house or eating, Satan says, addressing his followers: 'You will find no where to spend the night and no dinner.' But if he enters without mentioning the Name of Allah, Satan says (to his followers); 'You have found (a place) to spend the night in, and if he does not mention the Name of Allah at the time of eating, Satan says: 'You have found (a place) to spend the night in as well as food."' <b>[Muslim]</b>.

Hudhaifah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

When we attended a meal with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we would not stretch forth our hands towards the food until he (ﷺ) would start eating first. Once, we were with him when a little girl rushed in as if someone was impelling her. She was about to lay her hand on the food when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) caught her hand. Then a bedouin came in rushing as if someone were pushing him. He (ﷺ) caught his hand also and said, "Satan considers that food lawful for himself on which the Name of Allah is not mentioned. He (Satan) brought this girl to make the food lawful through her but I caught her hand. Then he brought the bedouin to make it lawful through him but I caught his hand too. By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, now Satan's hand is in my grasp along with their hands." Then he mentioned the Name of Allah and began to eat. <b>[Muslim]</b>.

Umaiyyah bin Makhshi (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting while a man was eating food. That man did not mention the Name of Allah (before commencing to eat) till only a morsel of food was left. When he raised it to his mouth, he said: "Bismillah awwalahu wa akhirahu (With the Name of Allah, in the beginning and in the end)." Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) smiled at this and said, "Satan had been eating with him but when he mentioned the Name of Allah, Satan vomited all that was in his stomach." <b>[Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i]</b>.

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was eating with his six Companions when a desert Arab came and ate up the food in two mouthfuls. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Had he mentioned the Name of Allah, it would have sufficed for all of you." <b>[At-Tirmidhi]</b>.

Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) finished a meal, he would say: "Al-hamdu lillahi hamdan kathiran taiyyiban mubarakan fihi, ghaira makfiyyin wa la muwadda`in, wa la mustaghnan `anhu, Rabbuna. (All praise is due to Allah, praise which is abundant, pure, and full of blessings, which is indispensable and to which one cannot be indifferent).'' <b>[Al-Bukhari]</b>.

Mu'adh bin Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who has taken food and says at the end: 'Al- hamdu lillahi-lladhi at'amani hadha, wa razaqanihi min ghairi haulin minni wa la quwwatin (All praise is due to Allah Who has given me food to eat and provided it without any endeavour on my part or any power),' all his past sins will be forgiven." <b>[Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi]</b>.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never found fault with food. If he had inclination to eating it, he would eat; and if he disliked it, he would leave it. <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>.

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked for sauce and was told that there was nothing except vinegar. He asked for it and began to eat from it saying, "How excellent is vinegar when eaten as sauce! How excellent is vinegar when eaten as Udm!" <b>[Muslim]</b>.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When any of you is invited to a meal, he should accept the invitation. If he is observing Saum (fasting), he should supplicate for the betterment of the host and if he is not fasting, he should eat." <b>[Muslim]</b>.

Abu Mas'ud Al-Badri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

A man prepared some food especially for the Prophet (ﷺ) and invited him along with four others. But a man accompanied him. Having arrived at the door, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to the host, "This person has followed us. You may allow him, if you like, and if you like he will return." He said: "O Messenger of Allah, I allow him, too." <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>.

'Umar bin Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:

I was a boy under the care of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and as my hand used to wander around in the dish, he (ﷺ) said to me once, "Mention Allah's Name (i.e., say Bismillah), eat with your right hand, and eat from what is in front of you." <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>.

Salamah bin Al-Akwa' (May Allah be pleased with him) reported on the authority of his father:

A man ate with his left hand in the presence of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), whereupon he said, "Eat with your right hand." The man said: "I cannot do that." Thereupon he (the Prophet (ﷺ)) said, "May you not be able to do that." It was vanity that prevented him from doing it and he could not raise it (the right hand) up to his mouth afterwards. <b>[Muslim]</b>.

Jabalah bin Suhaim reported:

We were with 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair (May Allah be pleased with them) in a time of famine, then we were provided with dates. (Once) when we were eating, 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) passed by us and said: "Do not eat two dates together, for Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited it, unless one seeks permission from his brother (partner)." <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>.

Wahshi bin Harb (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Some of the Companions of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "We eat but are not satisfied." He (ﷺ) said, "Perhaps you eat separately." The Companions replied in affirmative. He then said: "Eat together and mention the Name of Allah over your food. It will be blessed for you." <b>[Abu Dawud]</b>.

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Blessing descends upon food in its middle, so eat from the sides of the vessel and do not eat from its middle." <b>[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi]</b>.

'Abdullah bin Busr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Prophet (ﷺ) had a large bowl called Al-Gharra', which would be carried by four men. One day, when the Companions finished their Duha (forenoon optional) prayer, Al-Gharra' was brought full of sopped bread, meat and broth, and they sat down around it. When their number increased, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat down on his knees and rested on the soles of his feet. A bedouin said to him: "What sort of sitting is that?" Thereupon Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Verily, Allah has made me a courteous slave not a fierce tyrant." Then he said, "Eat from the sides of the bowl and leave the central part of it so that your food will be blessed." <b>[Abu Dawud]</b>.

Abu Juhaifah Wahb bin 'Abdullah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "I do not eat reclining (against a pillow)." <b>[Al-Bukhari]</b>.

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

I saw Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) eating some dates while sitting on his buttocks, with his legs raised. <b>[Muslim]</b>.