Eating what is pure and lawful, and keeping away from the doubtful and the forbidden, is required by faith.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) stressed that food should be pure and lawful, saying, "The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear; between the two are doubtful matters that many people do not know. Whoever avoids the doubtful protects his religion and his honor." He asked how the prayer of one whose food, drink, and clothing were unlawful could be accepted, and reminded that there is a part of the body whose soundness makes the whole body sound: the heart. Lawful provision matters for a supplication to be accepted and for the heart to remain sound.
What is the hadith source of this sunnah?
This sunnah rests on the following hadiths. The reference gives the collection, chapter and number where the hadith appears.
- M4094 Müslim, Müsâkât, 107
- M2346 Müslim, Zekât, 65
More sunnahs in Prayer & Worship
As a table with references: Prayer & Worship sunnahs.
- A Supplication on Leaving Home: Reciting a supplication every time you leave home means setting out in Allah's name and trusting in Him.
- Tasbih After Prayer: Saying subhanallah, alhamdulillah and Allahu akbar thirty-three times each after every prayer is a remembrance the Prophet taught.
- Fasting on Monday and Thursday: Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays is a sunnah the Prophet carefully observed.
- Salawat on Friday: Sending abundant salawat on Fridays is a beautiful expression of love and devotion to the Prophet.
- Making Repentance a Habit: Repenting a hundred times a day stands for the heart's constant cleansing and turning to Allah.
- Reflection and Remembering Death: Remembering death and reflecting deeply protects the heart from attachment to the world.
- Reading the Qur'an with Understanding: Reading the Qur'an slowly and with understanding carries it not merely to the voice but to the heart.
- Praying with Humility: Praying with humility and calm is a sunnah the Prophet both practiced and advised.
- Praying the Fajr Sunnah at Home: Praying the sunnah of Fajr at home and the obligatory prayer in congregation at the mosque was the Prophet's practice.