THE

FIQH
OF
FOOD
LESSON 4: THE
E T I Q U E T T E S O F E AT I N G
& DRINKING
 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
: ‫ب َﻋﻠﻰ ﻛُِّل ُﻣْﺳِﻠٍم أْن ﯾَْﻌِرﻓََﮭﺎ‬ ْ ‫ ِﻓﻲ اﻟَﻣﺎﺋدِة اﺛْﻧَﺗ َﺎ َﻋﺷَرةَ َﺧ‬: ‫اﻹﻣﺎُم اﻟﺣﺳُن ﻋﻠﯾﮫ اﻟﺳﻼم‬
ُ ‫ﺻَﻠﺔً ﯾَِﺟ‬
‫ وأْرﺑٌَﻊ ﺗﺄِدﯾب‬،ٌ ‫ َو أْرﺑٌَﻊ ﺳُﻧﱠﺔ‬، ‫ض‬ ٌ ‫أْرﺑٌَﻊ ِﻣْﻧﮭﺎ ﻓَْر‬
Imam Al-Hassan (a) said: “There are twelve things that every
Muslim should know about the table [manners]; four are
[ethically] mandatory, four are prophetic practices, and four are
general manners.”
 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
‫ َواﻟ ﱡ‬، ُ ‫ َواﻟﺗ ﱠْﺳِﻣﯾَﺔ‬، ‫ﺿﺎ‬
‫ﺷْﻛُر‬ َ ‫ َواﻟِّر‬، ُ ‫ ﻓَﺎﻟَﻣْﻌِرﻓَﺔ‬: ‫ض‬
ُ ‫ﻓَﺄﱠﻣﺎ اﻟﻔَْر‬
The mandatory are: knowledge [that God is the provider}, to be
content with it, mentioning the name of God [before it], and
offering thanks to Him [afterwards]…”
 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
، ‫ﺻﺎِﺑَﻊ‬ ِ ‫ واﻷْﻛُل ِﺑﺛ َﻼ‬، ‫ﺳِر‬
َ ‫ثأ‬ ِ ‫س َﻋَﻠﻰ اﻟَﺟﺎِﻧ‬
َ ‫ب اﻷْﯾ‬ ‫ﺿوُء ﻗَْﺑَل اﻟ ﱠ‬
ُ ‫ واﻟُﺟﻠ ُو‬، ‫طﻌَﺎِم‬ ُ ‫ ﻓَﺎﻟُو‬: ُ ‫ﺳﻧﱠﺔ‬
‫َوأﱠﻣﺎ اﻟ ﱡ‬
َ ‫َوَﻟْﻌُق اﻷ‬
.ِ‫ﺻﺎِﺑﻊ‬
The prophetic practices are: ablution before eating, sitting on
one's left side, eating with three fingers, and licking & sucking
one’s fingers [after eating].
 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
َ ّ‫ َوِﻗﻠّﺔ ُ اﻟﻧ‬، ِ‫ﺿﻎ‬
‫ظِر ِﻓﻲ ُوُﺟوِه‬ ْ ‫ َوﺗ َْﺟِوﯾد ُ اﻟَﻣ‬،‫ﺻِﻐﯾُر اﻟﻠﱡْﻘَﻣِﺔ‬
ْ َ ‫ َوﺗ‬، ‫ ﻓَﺎﻷْﻛُل ِﻣﱠﻣﺎ ﯾَِﻠﯾَك‬: ‫ب‬
ُ ‫َوأّﻣﺎ اﻟﺗ ﱠﺄِدﯾ‬
‫اﻟﻧّﺎِس‬
“And the general manners are: eating from the closest spot to
you, taking small bites, chewing well, and looking less at
people's faces [while eating].”

Source: Wasa’il al-Shia, v. 14, p. 593

 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
• Other etiquettes:
• to wash both hands before eating
• to wash both hands and towel dry after eating
‫ش ﻓﻲ‬
َ ‫ش َﻣﺎَﻋﺎ‬ ‫ﺳَل ﯾَدَه ُ َﻗْﺑَل اﻟ ﱠ‬
َ ‫ َوَﻋﺎ‬، ‫طﻌَﺎِم َوﺑَْﻌدَه ُ ﺑ ُوِرَك ﻟَﮫ ُ ِﻓﻲ أﱠوِﻟِﮫ َوآِﺧِرِه‬ َ ‫ َﻣْن َﻏ‬:‫ﺻﺎدُق ﻋﻠﯾﮫ اﻟﺳﻼم‬
ّ ‫اﻹﻣﺎُم اﻟ‬
‫ﺳِدِه‬
َ ‫ى ِﻓﻲ َﺟ‬ ً ‫ﻲ ِﻣْن ﺑَْﻠو‬ َ ‫ َوﻋُوِﻓ‬،‫ﺳﻌٍَﺔ‬ َ
“He who washes his hands before and after eating will be blessed at
the beginning and at the end of his food. As long as he lives, he will be
in comfort, and he will be cured of the ills of his body.”

Source: Wasa’il al-Shia, v. 14, p. 539

 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
• One of the companions of Imam al-Kadhim said:
‫س‬
‫س اﻟﻣﻧدﯾل وإذا ﺗوﺿﺄ ﺑﻌد اﻟطﻌﺎم ﻣ ﱠ‬
ّ ‫رأﯾت أﺑﺎ اﻟﺣﺳن ﻋﻠﯾﮫ اﻟﺳﻼم إذا ﺗوﺿﺄ ﻗﺑل اﻟطﻌﺎم ﻟم ﯾﻣ‬
‫اﻟﻣﻧدﯾل‬
“I saw Abul Hassan (Imam al-Kadhim) perform ablution before
eating and he did not dry his hands with a towel. And when he
performed ablution after eating, he used a towel.”

Source: Makarim Al-Akhlaq, p. 140

 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
• To pick up and eat any stray food unless you are eating outside, for it
is better to feed the stray food to the animals and birds.
‫"ﻣن وﺟد ﻛﺳرة أو ﺗﻣرة ﻓﺄﻛﻠﮭﺎ ﻟم ﺗﻔﺎرق ﺟوﻓﮫ ﺣﺗﻰ ﯾﻐﻔر ﷲ ﻟﮫ‬:‫ﻋن رﺳول ﷲ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وآﻟﮫ وﺳﻠّم‬
“Whoever finds a piece of bread or a date and eats it, it shall not leave
his body until God forgives him.”- The Prophet (a)

Source: Makarim al-Akhlaq, p. 141

 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
• To begin and end the meal with salt.
‫س َﻣﺎ ِﻓﻲ اﻟِﻣْﻠﺢِ ﻻْﺧﺗ َﺎُرُوه ُ َﻋﻠَﻰ‬ َ ‫ اْﺑدَؤوا ِﺑﺎﻟِﻣْﻠﺢِ ِﻓﻲ أﱠوِل‬: ‫ﻲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ اﻟﺳﻼم‬
ُ ‫ َﻓﻠَْو ﯾَْﻌﻠَُم اﻟﻧﱠﺎ‬، ‫طﻌَﺎِﻣﻛُْم‬ ‫اﻹﻣﺎُم ﻋﻠ ﱞ‬
‫ب‬ِ ‫ق اﻟُﻣَﺟﱠر‬ِ ‫اﻟ ِد ّْرﯾَﺎ‬
“Start with salt before you eat. If people knew what [benefits] salt has,
they would prefer it to tested medicine.”- Imam Ali (a)

Source: Wasa’il al-Shia, v. 14, p. 520

 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
‫ ﻓﺈﻧﮫ ﺷﻔﺎء ﻣن ﺳﺑﻌﯾن داء‬،‫ﯾﺎ ﻋﻠﻲ اﻓﺗﺢ ﺑﺎﻟﻣﻠﺢ واﺧﺗﺗم ﺑﮫ‬
“O Ali, begin [your meal] with salt and end [your meal] with salt
for verily it is a cure for 70 illnesses….”- The Prophet (s)

Source: Makarim al-Akhlaq, p. 142

 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
• Not to eat while walking:
‫ﻻ ﺗﺄﻛل وأﻧت ﺗﻣﺷﻲ إﻻ أن ﺗﺿطر إﻟﻰ ذﻟك‬:‫ﻋن أﺑﻲ ﻋﺑد ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ اﻟﺳﻼم ﻗﺎل‬
“Do not eat while you walk unless you are compelled to do
so.”- Imam Al-Sadiq (a)

Source: Makarim al-Akhlaq, p. 145

 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
• Not to blow on food or drink
ّ ‫ث َﻣﻧﺎھﻲ اﻟﻧّﺑ‬
‫ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ‬q‫ﻲ ِ ﺻﻠﻰ اﱠ‬ ِ ‫ ﻋن آﺑﺎﺋِﮫ ﻋﻠﯾﮭم اﻟﺳﻼم ﻓﻲ ﺣدﯾ‬- ‫ﺻﺎدُق ﻋﻠﯾﮫ اﻟﺳﻼم‬
ّ ‫اﻹﻣﺎُم اﻟ‬
‫ب‬
ٍ ‫ﺷَرا‬ َ ‫ وﻧََﮭﻰ أْن ﯾ ُْﻧﻔََﺦ ِﻓﻲ‬: - ‫وآﻟﮫ‬
َ ‫طﻌَﺎٍم أو‬
Imam al-Sadiq (a) narrated, on the authority of his fathers
about the tradition entailing certain prohibitions of the
Prophet (s): “He prohibited blowing on food or drink.”

Source: Wasa’il Al-Shia, v. 14, p. 370

 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
• To take your time eating and sitting at the spread
‫ب ِﻣْن أْﻋﻣﺎِرﻛُْم‬ َ ‫ت َﻻ ﺗ ُْﺣ‬
ُ ‫ﺳ‬ َ ‫أِطﯾﻠ ُوا اﻟُﺟﻠ ُو‬
ٌ ‫س َﻋﻠﻰ اﻟَﻣواِﺋِد ؛ ﻓَﺈﻧﱠﮭﺎ أْوﻗَﺎ‬
“Prolong your seating at the spread, for these are times that will
not be accounted for as part of your lives.”- Imam al-Sadiq (a)

Source: Al-Ikhtisas, p. 253

 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
• To eat in the morning and evening, not in the middle of the
day
‫ﺎ‬A‫ﺷﯾ‬ َ ‫ﺳﻠَٰـًﻣﺎ َوَﻟُﮭْم ِرْزﻗ ُُﮭْم ﻓِﯾَﮭﺎ ﺑ ُْﻛَرةً َو‬
ِ ‫ﻋ‬ َ ‫ﺳَﻣﻌ ُوَن ﻓِﯾَﮭﺎ ﻟَْﻐًوا إِﱠﻻ‬
ْ َ‫ﱠﻻ ﯾ‬
“They will not there hear any vain talk, but only salutations of
Peace: And they will have their sustenance, morning and
evening.” Quran 19:62
 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
• To be accommodate your family’s food preference
َ ‫ واﻟُﻣﻧَﺎِﻓُق ﯾَﺄ ْﻛُُل أْھﻠ ُﮫ ُ ِﺑ‬، ‫ﺷْﮭَوِة أْھِﻠِﮫ‬
‫ﺷْﮭَوِﺗِﮫ‬ َ ‫ اﻟُﻣْؤِﻣُن ﯾَﺄ ْﻛُُل ﺑ‬: ‫ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وآﻟﮫ‬q‫ ﺻﻠﻰ اﱠ‬q
ِ ‫رﺳوُل ا ﱠ‬
“The believer eats according to the desire of his family, while
the hypocrite makes his family eat according to his own
desires.”- The Prophet (s)

Source: Bihar al-Anwar, v. 42, p. 291

 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
• For the host to be the first to begin eating and the last to quit
• To eat with your right hand
• To wash fruits before eating them
• Not to eat when already full
• Not to eat to your fill
• Not to eat food that is hot (in temperature)
• Once bread is placed on the spread, to begin eating, and not to wait
for any other food
• Not to cut bread with a knife
 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
• Not to place bread under a dish
• Not to clean all the meat off of bones
• Not to peal fruit whose peal is edible
• Not to throw away a fruit until you have completely eaten it
 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
‫ اﻟطﻌﺎم اذا‬: ( ‫ ﻗﺎل رﺳول ﷲ ) ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وآﻟﮫ‬: ‫ ﻗﺎل‬، ( ‫ﻋن أﺑﻲ ﻋﺑد ﷲ ) ﻋﻠﯾﮫ اﻟﺳﻼم‬
‫ وﺣﻣد‬، ‫ وﺳﻣﻰ ﻓﻲ اوﻟﮫ‬، ‫ وﻛﺛرت اﻻﯾدي ﻋﻠﯾﮫ‬، ‫ اذا ﻛﺎن ﻣن ﺣﻼل‬: ‫ﺟﻣﻊ أرﺑﻊ ﺧﺻﺎل ﻓﻘد ﺗم‬
‫ﷲ ﻓﻲ آﺧره‬
“A meal is perfect [in the sight of God] if it has 4 qualities: If it is
lawful, and many hands are stretched over it, and God’s name is
mentioned at the beginning and He is praised at the end.”- The
Prophet (s)

Source: Al-Kafi, v. 6, p. 273

 ‫‪The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking‬‬
‫‪• Recite the following supplication when you begin eating:‬‬
‫اﻟﺣﻣد ‪ w‬اﻟذي ﯾطﻌم وﻻ ﯾطﻌم‪ ،‬وﯾﺟﯾر وﻻ ﯾﺟﺎز ﻋﻠﯾﮫ‪ ،‬وﯾﺳﺗﻐﻧﻲ وﯾﻔﺗﻘر إﻟﯾﮫ‪ ،‬اﻟﻠﮭم ﻟك اﻟﺣﻣد‬
‫ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺎ رزﻗﻧﺎ ﻣن طﻌﺎم وادام ﻓﻲ ﯾﺳر وﻋﺎﻓﯾﺔ ﻣن ﻏﯾر ﻛد ﻣﻧﻲ وﻻ ﻣﺷﻘﺔ‪ ،‬ﺑﺳم ﷲ ﺧﯾر‬
‫اﻷﺳﻣﺎء‪ ،‬رب اﻷرض واﻟﺳﻣﺎء‪ ،‬ﺑﺳم ﷲ اﻟذي ﻻ ﯾﺿر ﻣﻊ اﺳﻣﮫ داء‪ ،‬ﺑﺳم ﷲ اﻟذي ﻻ ﯾﺿر ﻣﻊ‬
‫اﺳﻣﮫ ﺷﺊ وھو اﻟﺳﻣﯾﻊ اﻟﻌﻠﯾم اﻟﻠﮭم أﺳﻌدﻧﻲ ﻓﻲ ﻣطﻌﻣﻲ ھذا ﺑﺧﯾره‪ ،‬وأﻋذﻧﻲ ﻣن ﺷره‪ ،‬وأﻣﺗﻌﻧﻲ‬
‫ﺑﻧﻔﻌﮫ‪ ،‬وﺳﻠﻣﻧﻲ ﻣن ﺿره‬
 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
Praise is for God who feeds, yet is not fed; who gives sanctuary [to others],
but whose fugitives are not given sanctuary to; who is without need and to
whom all are impoverished.
O Allah! To you belongs praise for the bread and soup that you have
provided for us while we have remained in ease and well-being, without
having had to bear any ordeals or hardship.
In the name of God, the best of names. In the name of God, Lord of the
land and sky. In the name of God, with whose name nothing on earth nor in
the sky can cause harm. He is the All- Hearing, the All-Knowing.
O Allah! Bless us with the goodness of this food, and protect us from its
evil. Avail us of its benefit, and keep us safe from its harm.
 ‫‪The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking‬‬
‫)‪• Recite the following supplication of Imam al-Sadiq (a‬‬
‫‪when you finish eating:‬‬
‫اﻟﺣﻣد ( اﻟذي أطﻌﻣﻧﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺟﺎﺋﻌﯾن وﺳﻘﺎﻧﺎ ﻓﻲ ظﻣﺂﻧﯾن وﻛﺳﺎﻧﺎ ﻓﻲ ﻋﺎرﯾن وھداﻧﺎ ﻓﻲ‬
‫ﺿﺎﻟﯾن وﺣﻣﻠﻧﺎ ﻓﻲ راﺟﻠﯾن وآواﻧﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺿﺎﺣﯾن وﻓﺿﻠﻧﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻛﺛﯾر ﻣن اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻣﯾن‬
 The Etiquettes of Eating & Drinking
“Praise is for God who has fed us while so many hunger, who has
given us drink while so many thirst, who has clothed us while so
many remain naked, who has guided us while so many are lost,
who has given us vehicles while so many must walk, who has
given us shelter while so many must be in the sun, and who has
favored us over much of his creation.”