Few eating disciplines to be maintained according to Islam

     Islam gives precise guidance to Muslims about all aspects of life and this includes food and eating habits and manners. Food is not only  essential for itself or for the sake of enjoyment but to endure life so that one may enjoy health and physical strength required to undertake one’s duties and responsibilities in this life .

Few eating disciplines to be maintained  according to Islam which are as follows:

Halal food

"O ye people! eat of what is on earth lawful and good; and do not follow the
footsteps of the evil one for he is to you an avowed enemy. Q: 2:168

Praise Allah

The Apostle of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then said: "When one of you eats food, he should say: O Allah, bless us in it, and give us food (or nourishment) better than it." 

[Hadith-Abu Dawud, Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas]

Cleanliness and hygiene

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is reported by Ibn Hayyan to have said: "Cleanse yourself, for Islam is cleanliness”

Cleanliness in food handling, cooking, preserving, processing, etc. is highly recommended and emphasized besides an overall cleanliness of body, clothing, home, and surroundings.

Blessings are for those who share their food with others

The Companions of the Messenger (may Allah be pleased with them) complained: 

'O Messenger of Allah, we eat but are not satiated.' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Perhaps you eat separately?' They replied that they did. He said: 'Eat your food together and say Bismillah before you start, that will bring blessings into your food." (Hadith-Abu Dawud)

Washing before eating

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The blessings in the meal is by washing before and after it."(Hadith- Abu Dawud)

Use the right hand to eat

It is obligatory for the Muslim to eat with his right hand; he should not eat with his left hand.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No one among you should eat with his left hand, or drink with it, for the Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with it.” 

(Narrated by Muslim, 2020). 

Eating less:

"O children of Adam! Look to your adornment at every place of worship, and eat and drink, but be not prodigals. Lo! He loveth not the prodigals." (Quran 7:31)

Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is reported to have said:

"Eat less you will be healthier." (Hadith)

"A plate for one is enough for two, and a plate for two is enough for four.” (Hadith)

Note: Prodigal means wasteful or unnecessarily extravagant or uncontrolled.

Eating slowly:

Eating slowly is recommended for good health as it facilitates the food being thoroughly chewed and hence easier to digest.

Do not criticize the food

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never criticized any food. If he liked it he would eat it and if he did not like it he would leave it. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 3370; Muslim, 2046) 

Do not waste food

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said

"Satan appears at everything done by you; he appears even at one's dinner. When a morsel of any of you falls, he should pick it up and remove any dirt on it, and then eat it. He should not leave it for Satan, nor should he wipe his hand with the towel until he has licked his fingers, for he does not know in what portion of the food the blessing lies.'' [Hadith- Muslim]

 

Table Etiquettes

1) Sitting down while eating	2) Eating together and sharing of food
3) Serving others first, especially guests.	4) Host is the first to start eating and the last to finish. (This is the opposite of Western table manners.)
5) Taking food in smaller portions than needed.	6) Finishing (cleaning) the plate without leftovers (this too is different from Western tradition where we are taught to always leave a small bit on the plate.)
7) Waiting for everyone to finish before finally leaving the table or floor cloth.	8) Eat from the corner of the plate from your side (for one dish communal eating), don't eat from the middle or the other side of the dish.
9) As an invited guest it is permissible to ask your host for water or salt. Accept what is offered and don't request additional items your host may not have available.	10) When eating in a group, if quantities are limited, share from your plate with the others.

Thank ALLAH after eating or drinking

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 

"Verily, Allah is pleased with His servant when he eats a morsel and praises him, and when he takes a drink and then praises him (Al-Hamdulillah)." (Hadith- Abu Dawud)

Washing the hands after eating

The Sunnah may be done by washing with water only. Ibn Raslaan said: But it is better to wash the hands with potash or soap or something similar. 

(Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 5/485)

Rinsing the mouth after eating

 It is mustahabb to rinse the mouth after eating, because Basheer ibn Yassaar narrated that Suwayd ibn al-Nu’maan told him that they were with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in al-Sahba’ – which is some distance from Khaybar – and the time for prayer came. He called for food, but he did not find anything but some saweeq (barley mush). So he ate some and we all ate with him. Then he called for water and rinsed out his mouth, and then he prayed, and we prayed, and he did not do wudoo’. 

 (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 5390). 

  Note 1: (wudu/ noun (Islam) 1. the practice of ritual washing before daily prayer)

  Note 2 :Mustaḥabb/, literally "recommended") is an Islamic term referring to recommended, favored.

Keeping the lid on utensils after eating

 Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said, “Cover up the utensils and tie the mouth of the water skins.” (Bukhari, Muslim)  

This prevents contamination from passing insects and lizards and in houses with open kitchens keeps stray animals away from the food.

Eating a healthful diet is considered substantial aspect of Islamic life and may help you to reach and maintain balance in health and spirituality through proper guidance of Allah and Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). Ameen