and the man went on: “Messenger of Allah, what about a speck—something that falls into the drink, like a tiny sliver of wood or the like—so a person blows in order to dislodge it?” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Pour it out,” meaning: discard the water that contains the speck and do not blow into it.

The man then said that he could not satisfy his thirst in a single breath. The Prophet ﷺ instructed him, “Remove the vessel from your mouth between breaths,” that is, drink, then separate the cup from your lips, breathe, and then return to drinking.

Some scholars have allowed an exception when a genuine need exists—for instance, if the drink is extremely hot and must be cooled quickly—but even then the preferable course is not to blow. If the drink is hot and another container is available, one may pour the liquid into the second vessel and then back again until it cools.

This shows that the Islamic law is perfect in every respect; the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has taught us everything. As Abū Dharr said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away, and there was not a single bird flapping its wings in the sky except that he had given us some knowledge about it.” Even the birds above carry lessons that Allah and His Messenger have taught us. Likewise, a man from among the idolaters once said to Salmān al-Fārisī (may Allah be pleased with him)