then all praise belongs to Allah. If that wholesome effect is achieved, so be it; if not, it is of no concern to us—what matters is obeying the Prophet ﷺ.

Third point: A person should lick the plate, the pot, or whatever vessel held the food. When you finish, run your finger around its rim and lick it, as the Prophet ﷺ commanded, for you do not know in which portion of your food the blessing lies. Regrettably, people rise from the meal without carrying out this Sunnah, and you will find food still clinging to the rims of the dishes; the reason is ignorance of the Sunnah. If only the students of knowledge, whenever they ate with the general public, would draw their attention to this practice and to the other Sunnahs of eating and drinking, these practices would spread. Yet we ask Allah to treat us with His pardon, for we often fall short and treat the matter lightly, and that contradicts the call to the truth.

Fourth point: When a morsel drops from one’s hand, he should not leave it; rather, he should pick it up. If it has some impurity on it, wipe it off—no one is obliged to eat something he finds distasteful. Remove whatever is clinging to it, whether a small stick, a bit of soil, or the like, and then eat it. Why? Because the Prophet ﷺ said, “Do not leave it for Satan.” Satan attends the son of Adam in all his affairs: if he wishes to eat, Satan is there; if he wishes to drink, Satan is there; if he wishes to approach his wife, Satan is there, even until