was running and tried to place her hand in the food without saying the basmalah. The Prophet ﷺ took hold of her hand. Next a Bedouin came—likewise as though being pushed forward—and he stretched out his hand toward the food; the Prophet ﷺ seized his hand too. The Prophet ﷺ then explained that Satan had brought this Bedouin and this young girl so that, if they ate without mentioning Allah’s name, he might thereby make the food lawful for himself. They could be excused because of ignorance—the girl due to her young age and the Bedouin because he was a desert dweller—but it was Satan who drove them, seeking a share in the food when they failed to invoke Allah’s name. The Prophet ﷺ thereupon swore that Satan’s hand was in his own hand along with theirs.

This ḥadīth points to several benefits:

1. The Companions’ deep respect and refined etiquette toward the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
2. When a senior person is present at the table, no one should begin eating before he does; proper manners dictate giving precedence to the elder, for starting ahead of him is inappropriate.
3. Satan orders, urges, and drives people to do what is unseemly. The Noble Qur’an says, “Satan threatens you with poverty and commands you to indecency” (2:268), and, “O you who believe, do not follow in the footsteps of Satan; whoever follows in the footsteps of Satan, he indeed commands indecency…” (24:21).