Thus, when it is said, “This is the dress of the unbelievers,” it becomes unlawful for a Muslim to wear it; and if it is said, “This outfit is the distinctive attire of the unbelievers,” it is likewise forbidden for a Muslim to imitate them. The same applies to Satan: a Muslim must not imitate him in any of his deeds. Yet Satan belongs to the unseen realm, and we know of his actions only what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has told us.

In the ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar, the Prophet ﷺ said, “None of you is to eat with his left hand or drink with it, for Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with it.” The “left” here clearly means the left hand. The Prophet therefore forbade eating and drinking with it and explained the prohibition by pointing out that this is Satan’s practice. We have been ordered to avoid following him, as Allah the Exalted says: “O you who believe, do not follow the footsteps of Satan; whoever follows the footsteps of Satan—indeed, he commands indecency and wrongdoing” (Quran 24:21).

This ḥadīth proves that eating or drinking with the left hand is forbidden, and that whoever does so is resembling Satan, our enemy and the enemy of Allah. How astonishing it is to see people today—after mingling with the unbelievers and observing them—copy their leader, Satan, by eating and drinking with the left hand! One is amazed that they would abandon the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ, thus imitating Satan and the unbelievers rather than following the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and adhering to his Sunnah.

There are even some who normally eat and drink with the right hand, but if a drink is offered to them while they are eating, they switch to the left hand, saying, “I am afraid the cup will get dirty.” Glory be to Allah! Even if the cup does get dirty, is it with impurity or merely with food? It is only food—and food is lawful. All one needs to do is wash the glass after drinking. Moreover, in our own times we often drink from disposable cups that are thrown away after use.