Etiquette before eating

The Etiquette of Eating

In Islam, there is an etiquette for eating, which is divided into categories:  

1.     Etiquette before eating

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2.     Etiquette whilst eating

3.     Etiquette after eating

In this post, I would like to share the etiquette before eating in Islam. While in the next post, I will continue to write about the while and after eating.

So, these are the list of what should we do before eating:

1 – Washing the hands. The hands should be washed before eating, so that our hands clean when we start eating, and so that we will not be harmed by any dirt that may be on the hands. 

2 – Ask about the food if you are a guest and you are not sure what it is. The Messenger (ﷺ) was not eating food until he had been told about it, so that he knows what will he eats. Al-Bukhari narrated from Khalid ibn al-Waleed that he and the 6. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon Maimunah, who was his [Khalid’s] maternal aunt and the maternal aunt of Ibn ‘Abbas, and found that she had some roasted lizard that her sister Hafidah bint al-Harith had brought from Najd. She offered Dhab, desert lizard to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), but he did not take the food that was served until he was told what the food is.  The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stretched forth his hand, then one of the women who were present said, “Tell the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that what has been offered to him is Dhab.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) withdrew his hand from Dhab, and Khaalid ibn al-Waleed asked, “Is Dhab haram, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “No, but it is not found in the land of my people and I feel that I would have no liking for it. Khalid said, Then, I chewed it and ate it, and the Messenger of Allah was looking at me but not asked me to stop eating.

 3 – Mentioning the name of Allah before eating. It is Sunnah to say “Bismillaah (in the name of Allah)” when starting to eat.

It was narrated from Umm Kalthoom from ‘Aishah (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When any one of you eats, let him mention the name of Allah. If he forgets to mention the name of Allah at the beginning, then let him say ‘Bismillaahi awwalahu wa aakhirahu (In the name of Allaah at the beginning and at the end).’” 

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1858; Abu Dawood, 3767; Ibn Maajah, 3264. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, 3202). 

-Islam is the way of life-