Sunnahs in Eating & Drinking include: Beginning with Bismillah, Eating with the Right Hand, Drinking While Seated. The table below lists each sunnah with a short description and the reference of the hadith it rests on. Sunnahs without a basis in authentic sources are not included.
Eating & Drinking sunnahs and hadith references
| Sunnah | Description | Hadith reference |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning with Bismillah | Beginning every meal with Bismillah comes first among the sunnahs. | T1858 Tirmizî, Et'ıme, 47 |
| Eating with the Right Hand | Using the right hand while eating and drinking is a sunnah. | M5265 Müslim, Eşribe, 105 M5297 Müslim, Eşribe, 131 M5306 Müslim, Eşribe, 136 |
| Drinking While Seated | Drinking water and other drinks while seated is a sunnah of the Prophet. | M5275 Müslim, Eşribe, 113; T1879 Tirmizî, Eşribe, 11 T1885 Tirmizî, Eşribe, 13 B154 Buhârî, Vudû', 19 |
| Eating in Moderation | Leaving a third of the stomach for food and a third for water is part of the sunnah. | T2380 Tirmizî, Zühd, 47 |
| Praising Allah After Eating | Praising Allah after eating or drinking is gratitude for His blessings. | M6932 Müslim, Zikir, 89 |
| Sharing the Meal | Sitting together at the table and sharing increases the blessing. | D3764 Ebû Dâvûd, Et'ıme, 14 M5370 Müslim, Eşribe, 180 M5306 Müslim, Eşribe, 136 |
| Never Criticising Food | Not criticising food is a mark of respect for the blessing of Allah. | B5409 Buhârî, Et'ıme, 21; M5383 Müslim, Eşribe, 188 |
| Washing the Hands | Washing the hands after eating is the sunnah of cleanliness at the table. | D3852 Ebû Dâvûd, Et'ıme, 53 B211 Buhârî, Vudû', 52 |
| Eating from What Is in Front of You | Eating from the side of the plate nearest you is a sunnah of table etiquette. | B5376 Buhârî, Et'ıme, 2 |
| Eating Seated on the Floor | Eating seated on the floor, and not eating or drinking standing, is humility reflected in the sunnah. | D3773 Ebû Dâvûd, Et'ıme, 17 M5275 Müslim, Eşribe, 113; T1879 Tirmizî, Eşribe, 11 |
| Eating the Fallen Morsel | Cleaning and eating a morsel that has fallen is refusing to belittle a blessing. | M5306 Müslim, Eşribe, 136 |
Other categories
- Greetings sunnahs
- Cleanliness sunnahs
- Sleep Etiquette sunnahs
- Clothing sunnahs
- Speech Etiquette sunnahs
- Social Life sunnahs
- Prayer & Worship sunnahs
- Family & Visiting sunnahs
- Everyday Courtesy sunnahs
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