On Food and Drink

Allah the Exalted says: “O you who believe, eat of the wholesome things We have provided for you, and give thanks to Allah if it is Him that you worship.” (al-Baqara 2:172)

ʿUmar ibn Abī Salama (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, ‘My dear boy, pronounce the name of Allah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is directly in front of you.’” Agreed upon.

ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When any one of you eats, let him mention the name of Allah at the beginning. If he forgets to mention Allah’s name at the start, let him say, ‘Bismillāh, in its beginning and its end.’” Al-Tirmidhī classed this hadith as sound and authentic.

Umayyah ibn Makhshī (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting while a man was eating. The man did not invoke Allah’s name until only one morsel of food remained. When he lifted it to his mouth he said, ‘Bismillāh, in its beginning and its end.’ The Prophet ﷺ laughed and said, ‘Satan had been eating with him, but when he mentioned the name of Allah, Satan vomited up what was in his stomach.’” Reported by Abū Dāwūd and al-Nasāʾī.