Eating

Observe the following Sunan for eating:

1. Pronounce the Tasmiyah:

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

O Allah! Bless us on everything You give us, and avoid us from Hellfire.

2. Eat with right hand.

3. Eat from what is in front of you.

This three Sunan are recorded in one Hadeeth.

O young man, mention the Name of Allah, eat with your right and eat from what is in front of you.

4. If some food drops, clean it and then eat it:

If one of you drop a morsel of food, then remove from it whatever there is of dirt and then eat it..

5. Eat with three fingers.

The Prophet (PBUH) used to eat with three fingers. This was his (PBUH) way of eating and is better, unless a need requires otherwise.

6. The etiquete of sitting when eating:

• Kneel on one's shins and front of the feet, or
• Keep the right leg upright and sit on the left.

This is what preferred, as was mentioned by Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar in Fath Al-Baaree.

Observe the following Sunan after eating.

1. Lick the bowl and the fingers:

The Prophet (PBUH) ordered the licking of the fingers and bowl, and he said:

Verily, you do not know in which of it (i.e. which morsel of food) is the blessing.

2. Praise Allah:

Verily, Allah is pleased with the slave when he eats his food and praises Allah for it..

And the supplication of the Prophet (PBUH) is:

All praise is for Allah, who fed me this and provided it for me without any might or power from myself.

From the benifits of this Du'aa, is that:

The person's past sins will be forgiven.