كِتَابُ الْأَطْعِمَةِFoods

¹ The statement: “The blessing of food is wudu, etc.”: This refers to washing the hands, using “wudu” metaphorically for part of it or based on its linguistic and customary meaning, per “Al-Mirqat.” In “Al-Alamgiriyyah,” the Sunnah is to wash hands before and after eating. The etiquette is to start with the young before the elders before eating, and the reverse after eating, per “Al-Zahiriyyah.” Najm al-A’immah al-Bukhari and others said: Washing one hand or fingers does not suffice for the Sunnah of washing hands before eating; it must be up to the wrists, per “Al-Qunyah.” One should not wipe hands with a cloth before eating to retain the effect of washing, but wipe them after to remove food traces, per “Khazanat al-Muftin.” In “Al-Yatimah,” my father was asked about rinsing the mouth when eating, whether it is a Sunnah like washing hands. He said: No, per “Al-Tatarkhaniyyah.” It is disliked for a person in a state of major impurity, man or woman, to eat or drink before washing hands and mouth, but not for a menstruating woman. Purifying the mouth is recommended in all cases, per “Fatawa Qadi Khan.”

² The statement: “In the mosque, he ate, etc.”: Perhaps he was in i’tikaf, had guests, or did so to show permissibility, as it is allowed unless the mosque is defiled, per “Al-Mirqat.”

³ The statement: “Without doing more than wiping our hands with pebbles”: Some of our scholars said wudu is recommended before and after eating only if the hands are soiled and produce odor, per “Al-Mirqat.”

¹ The statement: “Mention Allah’s name, etc.”: The majority of scholars hold that the three commands in this hadith are recommended. Some said eating with the right hand is obligatory. Al-Nawawi said: The recommendation of saying Bismillah at the start of eating is agreed upon, as is praising Allah at the end. Scholars said it is recommended to say Bismillah audibly to remind others. If one omits it intentionally, forgetfully, ignorantly, coerced, or unable due to a temporary issue but remembers during eating, it is recommended to say it. Saying Bismillah suffices, but adding “ar-Rahman ar-Rahim” is good. Each eater should say it. Al-Shafi’i said if one person says it, it suffices. Saying Bismillah for drinking water, milk, honey, broth, medicine, or other drinks is like saying it for food, per “Al-Mirqat” and “Umdat al-Qari.” In “Al-Durr al-Mukhtar” and “Radd al-Muhtar”: The Sunnah of eating is Bismillah at the start and Alhamdulillah at the end. If one forgets Bismillah, say: “Bismillah at its start and end,” which is the preferred Sunnah. Raise your voice with Bismillah to teach others, but not with Alhamdulillah unless they have finished eating, per “Al-Tatarkhaniyyah.” Say Bismillah only if the food is lawful; praise Allah at the end regardless, per “Al-Qunyah.”

² The statement: “Eat with your right hand”: In “Umdat al-Qari,” Shaykh Zayn al-Din said most of our scholars interpret eating with the right hand and from what is near as recommended, as stated by al-Ghazali and al-Nawawi. Al-Shafi’i in “Al-Umm” said it is obligatory. Al-Qurtubi said eating with the right hand is recommended, as it honors the right hand, which is stronger, more capable, and derived from blessing (yumn). A hadith in Abu Dawud states: “Use your right hand for food and drink, and your left for other things.” If the left hand is needed, it is secondary.

³ The statement: “Eat from what is near you”: Al-Qurtubi said eating from what is near is an agreed-upon Sunnah; doing otherwise is strongly disliked if the food is one type, per “Umdat al-Qari.” In “Radd al-Muhtar,” it is Sunnah not to eat from the middle of the dish, as blessing descends there, and to eat from one spot if it is one type of food. If the dish contains various fruits, one may eat from anywhere, as they are different types.

¹ The statement: “The devil considers food lawful, etc.”: Al-Nawawi said the correct view, held by most early and later scholars among hadith experts, jurists, and theologians, is that this hadith and similar ones about the devil eating are taken literally. The devil eats in reality, as reason does not negate it, and the Shariah affirms it, so it must be accepted.

¹ The statement: “Forgets to mention Allah over his food, etc.”: This implies that any mention of Allah at the start of eating suffices, but Bismillah is best. In “Al-Muhit,” saying “La ilaha illa Allah,” “Alhamdulillah,” or “Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah” fulfills the Sunnah at the start of wudu, and similarly for eating, as Bismillah is more emphasized in wudu. Ibn al-Humam said: If one forgets Bismillah during wudu and says it later, the Sunnah is not fulfilled, unlike eating, where it applies to the remaining food, not retroactively, per “Al-Ghayah” and “Al-Mirqat.”

² The statement: “Eat with three fingers and lick his hand, etc.”: This has several points. First, licking the fingers is recommended to keep them clean and avoid arrogance, interpreted as recommended by the majority, though Zahiris hold it obligatory. Al-Khattabi said some criticized licking fingers due to indulgence, claiming it is unbecoming or impure, not realizing the food on the fingers is part of what was eaten, so only the arrogant or indulgent avoid it, abandoning the Sunnah. Second, the wisdom in licking fingers is in a hadith by Abu Hurayrah, narrated by al-Tirmidhi: “When one of you eats, let him lick his fingers, for he does not know in which part of his food the blessing lies,” also narrated by Muslim. This means the blessing may be in what was eaten, remains on the fingers, or in the dish, so one licks the hand and wipes the dish seeking blessing. Blessing, Allah knows best, refers to nourishment, safety from harm, and strength for obedience, per al-Nawawi. Third, one should start licking the middle finger, then the index, then the thumb, per Ka’b ibn Ujrah’s hadith, narrated by al-Tabarani in “Al-Awsat.” Fourth, the Sunnah is to eat with three fingers; eating with all five is not prohibited but abandons the Sunnah unless necessary. Fifth, licking the dish is recommended, per al-Tabarani from al-Arbad ibn Sariyah: “Whoever licks the dish and his fingers, Allah will satisfy him in this world and the Hereafter.” Al-Tirmidhi narrated the dish seeking forgiveness. Sixth, the dish seeking forgiveness may mean Allah grants it discernment or speech to seek forgiveness, saying: “May Allah protect you as you protected me from the devil,” or it may be metaphorical, per “Umdat al-Qari.”

¹ The statement: “Eat from wherever you wish, etc.”: Ibn al-Malik said: This indicates that for fruit of one type, one should not reach around as with food, but if the food has various types, one may reach and eat any type desired, per “Al-Mirqat.”

² The statement: “This is the wudu”: This refers to customary wudu, meaning washing hands for food cooked with fire. Legal wudu was required early in Islam but was abrogated by such hadiths, per “Al-Mirqat” and “Al-Kawkab al-Durri.”

¹ The statement: “If a morsel falls, etc.”: In “Radd al-Muhtar,” it is Sunnah not to leave a fallen morsel, as it is wasteful; one should start with it.

² The statement: “I do not eat reclining”: In “Umdat al-Qari,” Shaykh Zayn al-Din said al-Tirmidhi interpreted reclining as disliked, as he titled it, which is the majority view. Many Companions and Followers ate reclining, per Ibn Abi Shaybah. There is disagreement on what reclining means. Some said it refers to sitting cross-legged as if preparing to eat. In “Al-Talwih,” reclining is leaning on the cushion beneath, sitting firmly on it. Others said it is leaning on one side, a habit of the arrogant. Al-Khattabi said: The common understanding is leaning on one side, but here it means sitting firmly on the cushion, not eating casually but with focus. Al-Tirmidhi’s wording is: “As for me, I do not eat reclining.” Some argued this is specific to the Prophet (ﷺ), as Abu al-Abbas ibn al-Ass counted it among his unique traits, but the apparent view is it is not specific. Al-Tabarani narrated in “Al-Awsat” from Abu al-Darda’: “Do not eat reclining,” with a reliable chain. Al-Bayhaqi said it may be disliked as it resembles the arrogant and derives from non-Arab kings. The recommended sitting posture for eating is kneeling on both knees with the tops of the feet down or sitting with the right leg raised and the left folded, per “Umdat al-Qari.” Thus, in “Al-Alamgiriyyah” and “Al-Fatawa al-Attabiyyah”: Eating or drinking reclining, with the left leg on the ground or leaning, is disliked. In “Radd al-Muhtar”: There is no harm in eating reclining or bareheaded in the preferred view, provided it is not out of arrogance, per “Al-Zahiriyyah” and “Jawahir al-Akhlati.”

¹ The statement: “The Prophet (ﷺ) never ate on a khiwan”: In “Umdat al-Qari,” it is explained that a khiwan is not fully described by the narrators, but it is a large copper tray with a copper stand attached, about a cubit long, used to hold yogurt and placed before a prominent or indulgent person, carried by two or more people. Al-Turbishti said: The khiwan, used for eating, is a Persian term, and eating on it is a habit of the indulgent and tyrants to avoid bending down while eating. In “Al-Mirqat,” citing “Al-Nihayah,” a sufrah is food taken by travelers, often carried in a round leather mat, with the term transferred from the food to the mat, like a waterskin called a rawiyah. It became known as what food is placed on, whether leather or otherwise, except a table (ma’idah), as it is typically a symbol of arrogance. Eating on a sufrah is a Sunnah, while eating on a khiwan is an innovation but permissible. In “Al-Kawkab al-Durri,” eating on a khiwan intentionally is disliked, but if incidental, there is no harm unless it mimics tyrants’ habits. The essence is that eating on a khiwan is merely less preferable, but if it resembles Jewish or Christian customs, as in our lands, it is prohibitively disliked. If not, it still misses benefits, as eating on a lower surface requires bending, reducing stomach expansion and sufficing with less food. Such posture avoids humility and neediness, unlike a khiwan. Similarly, a sukurjah (Persian: sukur), or something similar, implies eating one type of food, promoting moderation, while variety encourages excess. Thinned bread follows the same reasoning, being a luxury that encourages overeating, especially since they lacked sieves to refine flour and wheat was scarce, with barley being their main food.

¹ The statement: “I do not know that the Prophet (ﷺ) saw thinned bread, etc.”: Ibn Battal said: Eating thinned bread is permissible, but the Prophet (ﷺ) avoided it out of asceticism, shunning luxury and preferring what is with Allah, per “Umdat al-Qari.” In “Al-Alamgiriyyah,” there is no harm in eating faludhaj (a sweet dish) or delicious foods, per “Al-Zahiriyyah.” Enjoying various fruits is permissible, but avoiding them is better, per “Khazanat al-Muftin.”

¹ The statement: “Forbade combining two dates, etc.”: Some scholars said this applies when hosted by someone. If they mix their food and eat together, is it permissible? The Imams said: It is permissible, but one should not intentionally take a larger morsel than another’s. If one eats more unintentionally, it is allowed, per “Al-Mirqat.” In “Al-Alamgiriyyah,” if travelers mix their provisions or each contributes a dirham based on their number, buy food, and eat, it is permissible even if their portions differ, per “Al-Wajiz” by al-Kurdari.

² The statement: “A household with dates will not go hungry”: Al-Nawawi said: This highlights the virtue of dates, the permissibility of storing for the family, and encouragement to do so, per “Al-Mirqat.”

³ The statement: “Whoever eats seven ajwah dates, etc.”: Al-Nawawi said: This shows the virtue of Madinah’s dates, especially ajwah, and eating seven in the morning. The specification of ajwah and the number seven are matters known to the Lawgiver, the wisdom of which we may not understand, like prayer units or zakat rates. We must believe in and acknowledge their virtue and wisdom, per “Al-Mirqat.”

¹ The statement: “Go to al-Harith ibn Kaladah, etc.”: This indicates the permissibility of consulting non-Muslims in medicine, as al-Harith died early in Islam, and his conversion is not confirmed, per “Al-Mirqat.”

² The statement: “Eating fresh dates with cucumbers”: Al-Nawawi said: This shows the permissibility of eating two foods together and indulgence in foods, with no disagreement among scholars, per “Al-Mirqat.”

¹ The statement: “This is the condiment of this, etc.”: Idam is what is eaten with bread, dissolving in the mouth, like vinegar, oil, or salt, not meat, eggs, cheese, or dates, per Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf. Muhammad said: Whatever is typically eaten with bread is idam, a view also held by Abu Yusuf in another narration, al-Shafi’i, and Ahmad, and this is the fatwa, per “Al-Bahr” citing “Al-Tahdhib.” Al-Faqih Abu al-Layth adopted this, and in “Al-Ikhtiyar,” it is the preferred view based on custom. In “Al-Muhit,” it is the more apparent view. For al-Shafi’i, dates have two views: one considers them idam due to this hadith, and another does not, as they are fruit like raisins. Muhammad said dates and walnuts are not idam, nor are grapes, melons, or vegetables, or other fruits, unless in a place where they are eaten with bread per custom, making them idam. Thus, Taj al-Shari’ah said the Prophet’s statement is a Shariah term, and oaths do not apply to it, per “Al-Durr al-Mukhtar,” “Radd al-Muhtar,” “Fath al-Qadir,” and “Al-Binayah.” In “Al-Mirqat,” Mirak said: This hadith supports those, like al-Shafi’i, who consider dates idam, and refutes those requiring idam to dissolve or excluding dates as typically eaten alone. It may be that idam is used metaphorically or by analogy since eaten with bread. I say: This interpretation is necessary, otherwise, the statement would be redundant. Oaths and their violation depend on time and place. The hadith hints at dietary balance, as barley is cold and dry, dates are hot and moist, and it reflects contentment and satisfaction, per “Al-Mirqat.”

¹ The statement: “And removing worms from them”: In “Radd al-Muhtar,” it is stated that a broth containing spoiled worms should not be eaten, as they are impure (maytah), even if clean. I say: This indicates the ruling on worms in fruits and produce.

² The statement: “A tailor invited the Prophet (ﷺ) for a meal, etc.”: This hadith shows the permissibility of a noble person eating the food of someone of lower status, such as a craftsman, accepting their invitation, eating with a servant, and the Prophet’s humility and kindness to his companions. It also indicates the Sunnah of liking pumpkin and anything the Prophet (ﷺ) liked. The tailor’s profession is not lowly. In “Sharh al-Sunnah,” it is permissible to reach for food not directly in front if it is varied and the host does not dislike it, per “Al-Mirqat.”

³ The statement: “He threw down the shoulder and the knife”: This indicates the permissibility of cutting meat with a knife, per “Umdat al-Qari” and “Radd al-Muhtar” citing “Al-Mujtaba.”

¹ The statement: “Tear it, etc.”: Ibn al-Malik, following “Sharh al-Sunnah,” said tearing is preferred for humility and avoiding arrogance, per “Al-Mirqat.”

In “Al-Mirqat,” this means not to make cutting with a knife your habit like non-Arabs; tear it ¹ if it is cooked, but if it is not, cut it with a knife.

² The statement: “How excellent a condiment is vinegar”: Al-Khattabi said: This praises moderation in food and restraining the soul from luxurious foods. Al-Nawawi said: This applies to what is easy to obtain and not scarce. It also means that if someone swears not to eat a condiment but eats with vinegar, they break their oath, which aligns with our view based on custom, per “Al-Mirqat” and “Al-Hidayah” with its commentaries.

¹ The statement: “No house with vinegar as a condiment is barren”: This encourages not looking down on bread and vinegar and asking for food from someone with whom the asker is not shy due to sincere love and knowledge of their generosity, per “Al-Mirqat.”

² The statement: “Eat olive oil”: This means eat it with bread as a condiment. The command is for recommendation for those who can afford it, per “Al-Mirqat.”

³ The statement: “The Prophet (ﷺ) was brought cheese, etc.”: This hadith is included here because cheese production may involve impurity, but the hadith establishes its purity and permissibility to eat and cut with a knife, per “Bazl al-Majhud.”

⁴ The statement: “What He was silent about is among what He has pardoned”: This indicates that the default ruling for things is permissibility according to most Hanafi and Shafi’i scholars, supported by Allah’s saying: “He has created for you all that is on earth” (Qur’an 2:29). It is said: Everything was created for His servants, and they were created for His worship, per “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me” (Qur’an 51:56), per “Al-Mirqat” and “Radd al-Muhtar.”

¹ The statement: “Remove it”: Mawlana Muhammad Yahya (may he rest in peace) wrote: This was to clarify a ruling, that expressing such a desire does not fall under prohibited matters. The hadith suggests the impermissibility of lizard, as if it were lawful, the Prophet (ﷺ) would not have ordered the removal of food mixed with ghee from a lizard skin, per “Bazl al-Majhud.”

² The statement: “The Prophet (ﷺ) never criticized food, etc.”: Al-Nawawi said: Among the etiquettes of eating is not to criticize food, such as saying it is salty, under-salted, sour, thick, thin, or undercooked, per “Umdat al-Qari.”

³ The statement: “The believer eats with one stomach, etc.”: The disbeliever does not have more stomachs than the believer, so the hadith requires interpretation. Al-Qadi said: It means the believer has less greed and desire for food, and his food is blessed, so he is satisfied with little, while the disbeliever is greedy, like animals, with no limit to his desire for food and drink. The difference in greed is likened to one eating with one stomach versus seven. Al-Nawawi said: The believer says Bismillah, so the devil does not share his food, while the disbeliever does not, so the devil joins him. Al-Suyuti preferred that the believer’s food is blessed by saying Bismillah, making the ratio like one to seven stomachs. This is evident in one person or similar people, where a person’s eating habits differ as a disbeliever versus a believer. Some believers may eat more than disbelievers, supported by this hadith and the following one about the guest. It is an expression of eating little versus much, meaning the believer’s nature is moderation, and the disbeliever’s is excess, per “Al-Mirqat.” Al-Tayyibi said: A perfect believer seeks asceticism and minimal food, content with sufficiency, unlike the disbeliever. Exceptions do not negate the hadith, like “The fornicator marries only a fornicatress or polytheist” (Qur’an 24:3). In “Al-Kawkab al-Durri,” the issue is that there are six intestines, not seven, and food does not reach them immediately. The answer is that this is a metaphor for excessive eating, with the stomach counted as the seventh for emphasis, like a poet’s saying about filling the body to the nose, indicating overeating. In “Urf al-Shadhi,” people’s conditions vary, as some Muslims eat much and some disbelievers eat little. The hadith expresses an ideal, not a fact. In “Al-Alamgiriyyah,” eating has levels: obligatory to avoid death, recommended to enable standing in prayer and fasting, permissible to fill up for bodily strength (with light accountability if lawful), and forbidden beyond fullness unless to strengthen for fasting or avoid shaming a guest. Starving oneself without impairing worship is permissible and trains the soul, making food desirable, unlike starvation that harms the body. One fearing lust may reduce eating to curb desire without impairing worship, per “Al-Ikhtiyar Sharh al-Mukhtar.” Eating for bodily need or benefit is permissible, per “Al-Hawi lil-Fatawa.” In “Radd al-Muhtar,” the worshiper chooses between recommended and permissible eating, intending to strengthen for worship, not indulgence, as Allah criticized disbelievers for eating for pleasure (Qur’an 47:12). The Prophet (ﷺ) said the Muslim eats with one stomach and the disbeliever with seven, with “seven” for exaggeration, a metaphor for the believer’s moderation and the disbeliever’s greed for pleasure.

⁴ The statement: “The food of two suffices for three, etc.”: This does not refer to the previous hadith about the believer eating with one stomach, meaning little food. Here, “food” means sufficiency, not that two people’s portion is exactly enough for three. The sufficiency of two can suffice for three with sincere intention and saying Bismillah, as blessing descends, and sufficiency varies. Al-Muhallab said: These hadiths encourage noble character and contentment with sufficiency, not specifying an exact amount, but promoting sharing, so two should include a third and a fourth as present, per “Al-Kawkab al-Durri” and its notes.

¹ The statement: “Is it forbidden, etc.”: In “Al-Durr al-Mukhtar” and “Radd al-Muhtar,” eating garlic and similar things with an offensive smell, like onions, is disliked and prohibited, per the authentic hadith forbidding approaching the mosque after eating garlic or onions. Al-Imam al-Ayni in his commentary on “Sahih al-Bukhari” said: The reason for the prohibition is harm to angels and Muslims, not limited to the Prophet’s mosque, as “mosques” is plural, contrary to some outliers. Anything with an offensive smell, edible or not, is included. Garlic, onions, and leeks were specified due to their common consumption. This extends to bad breath, wounds with odor, butchers, fishermen, lepers, and those with contagious diseases. Sahnun said Jumu’ah prayer is not obligatory for them, citing the hadith. Ibn Umar issued a fatwa accordingly, establishing the principle of excluding those who cause harm. An excused person eating smelly food is pardoned, per Mughirah ibn Shu’bah’s narration in “Sahih Ibn Hibban”: He approached the Prophet (ﷺ), who smelled garlic, but upon learning his chest was bandaged, the Prophet (ﷺ) excused him. Al-Tabarani’s narration in “Al-Awsat” confirms this, noting no rebuke. The statement “sit in his house” explicitly excuses staying home from congregation due to such foods, as they harm Muslims and angels. For Muslims, it excuses missing congregation; for angels, it excuses avoiding the mosque even alone. I say: This excuse should be limited to eating such food for a valid reason or forgetting before prayer time, so one does not intentionally cause absence from congregation, per summarized sources.

² The statement: “Stay away from our mosque”: Some said this is specific to the Prophet’s Mosque, but the majority hold it applies to all mosques, as “mosques” is plural, supported by the narration: “Angels are harmed by what harms humans.” This indicates the prohibition is due to offensive smells harming mosque attendees, human or angel, including onions, radishes, leeks, and similar things, like smoking, a widespread issue today. Opinions on smoking vary: some prohibit it, some permit it without dislike, and some deem it disliked (prohibitively or lightly). This is detailed in my treatise “Tarwih al-Jinan bi-Tashrih Hukm Shurb al-Dukhan,” which should be reviewed, per “Al-Ta’liq al-Mumajjad” on “Muwatta Muhammad” by Mawlana Muhammad Abdul Hayy.

³ The statement: “Unless cooked”: This qualifies the general prohibition in other hadiths, per “Al-Mirqat.”

¹ The statement: “The last food he ate was food with onions”: This likely means cooked, as that is typical. Ibn al-Malik said: He ate it late in life to show the prohibition is for dislike, not forbiddance, per “Al-Mazhar.” Ibn Hajar in “Sharh al-Shama’il” said this does not contradict the prohibition on garlic, leeks, and radishes, as it applies to raw forms, and the sound view is that it is disliked, not forbidden. Al-Tayyibi said the Prophet (ﷺ) disliked it for its smell, but cooked onions, especially, lack odor. Al-Tahawi in “Sharh al-Athar” said these narrations permit eating onions, leeks, and garlic, cooked or raw, if one stays home, but attending the mosque with their smell is disliked to avoid harming angels or people. This is our view, per Abu Hanifah, Abu Yusuf, and Muhammad.

² The statement: “Measure your food, etc.”: Al-Mazhar said: Measuring food helps know what one borrows, sells, or buys, as unknown amounts are impermissible. Similarly, not measuring food for dependents may lead to insufficiency, harming them, or excess without knowing what to store for the year. The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered measuring to ensure certainty in actions, bringing great blessing in this world and reward in the Hereafter, per “Al-Mirqat.”

³ The statement: “It is greater for blessing”: Hence, “Radd al-Muhtar” says not to eat food while it is hot.

¹ The statement: “When he lifted his table, he said: Praise be to Allah, etc.”: In “Al-Alamgiriyyah,” the Sunnah of eating includes saying Bismillah at the start and Alhamdulillah at the end. If one forgets Bismillah, they should say upon remembering: “Bismillah at its start and end.” Raise your voice with Bismillah to teach others, per “Al-Tatarkhaniyyah.” Say Bismillah at the start if the food is lawful, and Alhamdulillah at the end regardless, per “Al-Qunyah.” One should not raise their voice with Alhamdulillah unless the companions have finished eating, per “Al-Tatarkhaniyyah.”

² The statement: “The one who eats and is grateful, etc.”: It is said that the least form of gratitude is to say Bismillah when starting to eat and Alhamdulillah when finishing, per “Al-Mirqat.”