Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophets guidance with regard to food is perfect guidance. It was
described by Ibn al-Qayyim as follows:
When he put his hand in the food, he would say, Bismillaah (in the Name
of Allaah), and he told people to say this when eating. He said, When any one
of you eats, let him mention the name of Allaah. If he forgets to mention the
name of Allaah at the beginning, let him say Bismillaahi fi awwalihi wa
aakhirihi (in the name of Allaah at its beginning and at its end). Saheeh
hadeeth, narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1859) and Abu Dawood (3767).
The correct view is that it is obligatory to mention the name of Allaah (say
Bismillaah) when eating. The ahaadeeth which state this are saheeh and are
clear, with no contradictions in them.
When he raised the food to his mouth, he would say, Al-hamdu Lillaahi
hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan fihi ghayri makfiyyin wa laa muwadda wa
laa mustaghni anhu Rabbanaa azza wa jall (Allaah be praised with an abundant,
beautiful, blessed praise. He is the One Who is Sufficient, Who feeds and is
never fed, The One Who is longed for, along with that which is with Him, and
the One Who is needed. He is Our Lord, may He be glorified). Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (5142).
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. Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (3370) and Muslim (2064).
Or he would say, I do not feel like eating this. Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(5076) and Muslim (1946).
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 a good food is vinegar. Narrated by Muslim (2052)
He used to talk whilst he was eating, as is seen from the report quoted
above about vinegar.
And he said to his step-son Umar ibn Abi Salamah when he was eating with
him: Say Bismillaah and eat from that which is in front of you in the dish*.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5061) and Muslim (2022). [* At the time of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), people used to eat together from
one dish, and children would sometimes forget the correct etiquette. -
Translator]
He would repeatedly urge his guests to eat, as generous hosts do, and as
is seen in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, narrated by al-Bukhaari, 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! Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6087).
When he ate with others, he would not leave until he had made duaa for
them. He made duaa in the house of Abd-Allaah ibn Bisr, and said: O Allaah,
bless for them that which You have provided for them, forgive them and have
mercy on them. Narrated by Muslim (2042).
He commanded people to eat with their right hands and forbade them to eat
with their left hands. He said, The Shaytaan eats with his left hand and
drinks with his left hand. Narrated by Muslim (2020). This implies that eating
with the left hand is haraam, and this is the correct view, because the one who
eats with his left hand is either a shaytaan (a devil), or he is imitating the
Shaytaan.
It was also reported in a saheeh hadeeth 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. Narrated by Muslim (2021). If it was
permissible (to eat with the left hand), he would not have prayed against him
for doing so. It was the mans 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 Allaah (say Bismillaah)
over the food so that He might bless it for them. Narrated by Abu Dawood
(3764) and Ibn Maajah (3286).
(See Zaad al-Maaad, 2/397-406)
It was also reported that he said, I do not eat reclining. Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 5083.
He used to eat using the first three fingers (of his right hand), which is
the best way of eating.
See: Zaad al-Maaad, 220-222. And Allaah knows best.
The Prophets guidance regarding diet:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah 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 narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: The believer eats in one stomach whilst the kaafir eats in
seven. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5081) and Muslim (2060).
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. Narrated by
al-Tirmidhi (1381), Ibn Maajah (3349); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (2265).
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