Food & Eating Habits According to The Sunnah
Imam Ibnul-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah
Comprehensive notes covering the most important qualities of the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) in regards to food and diet.
It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air.
Food
When he put his hand in the food, he would say, "Bismillah (with the Name of Allah)," and he told people to say this when eating. He 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, let him say 'Bismillahi Fi Awwalihi Wa Akhirihi,' (with the name of Allah, at its beginning and at its end)."
The correct view is that it is obligatory to mention the name of Allah (say Bismillah) when eating. The Ahadith which state this are Sahih (authentic) and are clear, with no contradictions in them.
When he raised the food to his mouth, he would say,
"Al-Hamdu Lillahi Hamdan Kathiran Tayyiban Mubarakan Fihi, Ghayra [Makfiyyin Wa La] Muwadda'in, Wa La Mustaghnan 'Anhu Rabbana [All praise is to Allah, praise in abundance, good and blessed. It cannot [be compensated for, nor can it] be left, nor can it be done without, our Lord. [Bukhari]
He never criticized food at all. If he liked it, he would eat it, and if he did not like it, he would leave it and not say anything. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Or he would say,
"I do not feel like eating this." [Bukhari and Muslim]
Sometimes he would praise the food, as when he asked his family for food, and they said, "We have nothing but vinegar." He asked for it and started to eat it, saying, "What good food is vinegar." [Muslim]
He used to talk whilst he was eating, as is seen from the report quoted above about vinegar. And he said to his stepson 'Umar Ibn Abi Salamah when he was eating with him:
"Say Bismillah and eat from that which is in front of you in the dish." [Bukhari and Muslim]
He would repeatedly urge his guests to eat, as generous hosts do, and as is seen in the Hadith of Abu Hurairah, related by Al-Bukhari, about the story of drinking milk, where he repeatedly said to him, "Drink," and he kept telling him to drink until he (the guest) said, "By the One Who sent you with the truth, I have no more room for it!" [Bukhari]
When he ate with others, he would not leave until he had made Du'a (supplication) for them. He made Du'a in the house of 'Abdullah Ibn Bishr, and said:
"O Allah, bless for them that which You have provided for them, forgive them and have mercy on them." [Muslim]
He commanded people to eat with their right hands and forbade them to eat with their left hands. He said, "The Shaytan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand." [Muslim]
This implies that eating with the left hand is Haram (unlawful), and this is the correct view, because the one who eats with his left hand is either a Shaytan (devil), or he is imitating the Shaytan. It was also reported in an authentic Hadith that he told a man who was eating with his left hand in his presence, "Eat with your right hand!" The man said, "I cannot." He said, "May you never be able to," and the man never lifted his right hand to his mouth after that.
If it was permissible (to eat with the left hand), he would not have prayed against him for doing so. It was the man's stubborn arrogance that made him refuse to obey the command, and this is the utmost disobedience which deserved this prayer against him.
He commanded those who complained that they never felt full to eat together and not separately, and to mention the name of Allah (say Bismillah) over the food so that He might bless it for them. [Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah]
It was also reported that he said, "I do not eat reclining." [Bukhari]
He used to eat using the first three fingers (of his right hand), which is the best way of eating.
The Prophet's Guidance Regarding Eating
The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) used to know what he was eating.
He used to eat what was good for him.
He used to eat enough to keep him going, but no so much as to make him fat. Ibn 'Umar related that the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said,
"The believer eats in one stomach whilst the disbeliever eats in seven." [Bukhari and Muslim]
He taught his Ummah something to protect them from diseases caused by eating and drinking. He said,
"The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air." [Ath-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]
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