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Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala; May He be glorified and exalted) has provided His servants with food and water as sustenance. As servants, we are obliged to be grateful for the favours bestowed. We can be rewarded whilst eating by simply following the practices of our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ; peace be upon him) as described below.
Recite Dua: It was narrated by Abu Dawood (3767), at-Tirmidhi (1858) and Ibn Maajah (3264) from ‘Aa’ishah (radiAllahu ‘anha; may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ; peace be upon him) said: “When 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: In the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end (Bismillahi awwalahu wa aakhirahu).” [Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood]
Use the Right Hand: In the Hadith of Umar bin Abu Salamah (radiAllahu ‘anhu; may Allah be pleased with him) reported Messenger of Allah (ﷺ; peace be upon him), said to me: "Mention Allah's Name (i.e., say Bismillah before starting eating), eat with your right hand, and eat from what is near you." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Do Not be Wasteful: Waste is one of the reprehensible acts. Allah (‘azza wa jal; The Possessor of Complete Glory and Majesty) forbids a person to waste either food and drink or anything else. He says in the Glorious Qur’an: “O children of Adam, take your adornment [i.e., wear your clothing] at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.” [Surah Ar-Ra’d 7:31]
From the Book of Drinks [Sahih Muslim] it is recommended to lick one's fingers and wipe the bowl, and to eat a piece of food that is dropped after removing any dirt on it. It is disliked to wipe one's hand before licking it, because of the possibility that the blessing of the food may be in that remaining part. The Sunnah is to eat with three fingers. May Allah correct our ways, accept whatever we do in the way of earning His pleasure – Ameen.
It is Sunnah to say the words of praise to Allah and dua after one has finished eating. When he had finished eating, the Prophet (ﷺ; peace be upon him) used to say [Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 5458]:
Pearls of Wisdom
"If you find darkness in your heart after you have sinned, then know that in your heart there is light, because of that light you felt darkness."
Ibn al-Jawzi(rahimuhullah; may Allah have mercy on him)
Dua of the Week
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Transliteration: "Al-hamdu Lillahi hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fihi ghayra makfiyyin wa la muwadda’in wa la mustaghnan ‘anhu rabbana."
Translation: "Praise be to Allah, much good and blessed praise. O our Lord, You are not in need of anyone, and we cannot do without Your favour nor dispense with it."
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