“I shall certainly prove Abū Hurayrah’s oath false.” Her intention—and Allah knows best—was to demonstrate through her action that the Prophet’s prohibition (peace and blessings be upon him) did not make the act unlawful and its doer sinful. Rather, it was guidance in proper conduct: whoever does it incurs no sin, while whoever refrains from it is rewarded. Allah alone grants success.

Section on the Sunnah in Drinking and Eating

The sunnah when eating and drinking includes mentioning the name of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, at the outset and praising Him upon finishing. It is reported that “when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put his hand to the food, he would say, ‘In the name of Allah. O Allah, bless what You have provided for us.’ When he finished, he would say, ‘All praise is due to Allah—abundant, good and blessed praise.’”

When eating with others, one should also eat from what is nearest to oneself, for “the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his stepson, ‘Amr ibn Abī Salamah: ‘Say: In the name of Allah, and eat from what is nearest to you.’” This applies when the food is of one kind, such as bread soaked in broth, meat, and the like. If, however, there are different kinds, such as various fruits on a platter, for which those eating have different preferences, there is nothing wrong with a man taking something from in front of someone else.

This is explicitly reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Ikrāsh ibn Dhu’ayb. I have cited it in full in the subsection entitled Nadhr sanah (Vowing a Year), in Ibn al-Qāsim’s transmission in the Book of Miscellaneous Matters. This is also clear from “the hadith of Anas ibn Mālik: ‘I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking out pieces of gourd from around the bowl.’” There is nothing wrong with a man eating with his household and children taking food from in front of them, since he is not obliged