he even shares with him, as in the noble verse, “and share with them in wealth and children.” Thus, Satan keeps company with the heedless. But when, as you begin to eat, you say, “In the name of Allah,” you bar him from the meal; he can no longer eat with you, for you have invoked Allah’s name over the food. If, however, you neglect to say bismillah, he eats along with you. Once you have said “Bismillah,” Satan lies in wait for any morsel that slips to the ground: if you pick it up, it remains yours; if you leave it, he consumes it. So, when he is prevented from sharing the food directly, he tries to share what falls from it. For this reason, the Law has further restricted him: if a bite, a date, or anything similar drops to the ground, take it. Should it have any dirt, dust, twigs, or the like on it, remove that impurity and then eat it; do not abandon it to Satan.

Fifth point: Ablution after eating food cooked over fire—such as bread, rice, crushed wheat, and the like—does a person have to perform it or not? Some scholars maintained that anyone who eats something prepared over fire must perform ablution, because the Prophet ﷺ commanded ablution after eating what had been touched by fire. The correct view, however, is that it is not obligatory, as shown by the hadith of Jabir in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī that the author ﵀ cites. The sound ruling is that it is not required; it is merely recommended. In other words, it is better to perform ablution—even if you were already in a state of ablution—after eating.