She then began to ponder and say to herself, “But who could possibly be better than Abū Salama?” She was convinced that Allah would indeed grant her someone superior, yet she kept asking, “Who could be better than Abū Salama?”

No sooner had her waiting period after his death ended than the Prophet ﷺ proposed to her, and—without doubt—the Prophet ﷺ was better for her than Abū Salama.

Allah also answered the Messenger’s supplication for Abū Salama—“Be his successor among those he leaves behind.” Allah became that successor by appointing the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to care for Abū Salama’s family, and what an excellent guardian he proved to be. He looked after Abū Salama’s household and his children, among whom was ʿUmar ibn Abī Salama—may Allah be pleased with him. ʿUmar was still a young boy when he once sat eating with the Messenger ﷺ; his little hand kept roving over the platter—left and right—taking food from what was before him, from the middle, and even from the other side.

The Prophet ﷺ said to him, “Young man, mention Allah’s name—say bismillah before eating, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is directly in front of you.” In doing so, the Messenger taught the boy three sunnahs: invoking Allah’s name before eating—which is obligatory, eating with the right hand—which is likewise obligatory, and taking food only from what lies before one out of courtesy to one’s companions, for it is bad manners to reach over to someone else’s side. Thus the Prophet ﷺ instilled these three practices in his manner of eating.