may Allah be pleased with him—about whether one must perform ablution after eating food that has been touched by fire. He answered, “No. In the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ we seldom had such food, and when we did come across it, we had no napkins save our hands, forearms, and feet. Then we would pray and would not perform ablution.” Recorded by al-Bukhari.

[Explanation]
The aḥādīth that the author—may Allah have mercy on him—cited in the Book of the Etiquette of Eating address several matters.

First: A person should eat with three fingers—the middle, the index, and the thumb—for that better reflects restraint and humility. This applies to food that can be taken with three fingers. For items that cannot be managed with only three fingers, such as rice, there is no objection to using more. Yet whenever three fingers are sufficient, one should confine himself to them, for this is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

Second: When a person finishes eating, he should lick his fingers before wiping them with a cloth, as the Prophet ﷺ commanded—whether he licks them himself or someone else licks them. If he does so himself, the matter is evident; and if someone else licks them