but he should not eat from the center of the dish, for blessing descends upon its center. Rather, he should eat from the sides; there is no harm in that.

The scholars made an exception where the food consists of different kinds: there is no problem in taking from what is not directly before one, as the sunnah establishes. For instance, if there is meat on the food and the meat is in the middle, he may take some of it. Likewise, if it is assumed that the table contains different kinds of condiment, with one kind directly before his companion and another not directly before him, he may take from it. Here, however, it is proper to ask permission, as this is part of complete etiquette.

His statement, “with his right hand,” means that eating with the right hand is recommended, based on the Prophet’s ﷺ words to Umar ibn Abi Salamah: “Eat with your right hand.” What he mentioned is the well-known position of the school: that eating with the right hand is preferable to eating with the left.

The stronger view on this issue is that eating with the right hand is obligatory. The evidence is that the Prophet ﷺ forbade eating with the left hand and said: “None of you should eat with his left hand or drink with his left hand, for Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.” (1) We have also been forbidden from following in Satan’s footsteps.

It is remarkable that some fools among us Muslims regard eating with the left hand as a sign of progress. I do not know how they can see it that way when, in this reprehensible practice, they are merely imitating the disbelievers, yet they do not benefit from their advances in useful industries. But this is undoubtedly Satan’s prompting; so long as Satan