He—may Allah be pleased with him—reported that the Prophet ﷺ forbade a person to breathe into the drinking vessel. The reason is that exhaling into the cup is repulsive to anyone who drinks after him, and sicknesses of the stomach, esophagus, or mouth may be expelled with the breath and cling to the rim. A person might even choke if he inhales while the vessel is at his lips. For that reason the Prophet ﷺ prohibited breathing into the vessel; instead, one should take three breaths, moving the cup away from the mouth each time.

The Prophet ﷺ further said that drinking in this manner is “more soothing, more wholesome, and more agreeable.” It is more soothing because the drinker proceeds unhurriedly; more wholesome in that it quenches thirst more safely and guards against illness; and more agreeable because the liquid descends to the intestines with greater ease.

Thirst is nothing but heat in the stomach caused by lack of water or by an underlying ailment. When a large amount of water is poured onto that heat all at once, it can harm the drinker; but if the water is introduced gradually, the thirst is relieved and the danger of illness is averted, as is the shock that comes when cold water strikes the stomach in a single rush.

Therefore, when drinking one should not gulp the water down in great drafts; rather, he should sip it. He should avoid swallowing big mouthfuls and instead take gentle sips so the water reaches the stomach little by little: he sips during the first breath and sets the vessel aside, then again during the second breath, and finally during the third.