I read in the Torah that the blessing of food consists in ablution before it. So I mentioned it to the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: The blessing of food consists in ablution before it and ablution after it.
Sufyan disapproved of performing ablution before taking food.
Abu Dawud said: It is weak.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out from the valley of a mountain where he had eased himself. There were some dried dates on a shield before us. We called him and he ate with us. He did not touch water.
The Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) we eat but we are not satisfied. He said: Perhaps you eat separately. They replied: Yes. He said: If you gather together at your food and mention Allah's name, you will be blessed in it.
Abu Dawud said: If you are invited to a wedding feast before you, do not take it until the owner of the house (i.e. the host) allows you (to eat).
Jabir bin ‘Abd Allah said that he heard the Prophet(ﷺ) say:
When a man enters his house and mention Allah’s name on entering and on his food, the devil says: You have no place to spend the night and no evening meal; but when he enters without mentioning Allah’s name on entering, the devil says: You have found a place to spend the night, and when he does not mention Allah’s name at his food, he says: You have found a place to spend the night and an evening meal.
Chapter 16: Saying Bismillah over food - كتاب الأطعمة
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ خَيْثَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ، عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ، قَالَ كُنَّا إِذَا حَضَرْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم طَعَامًا لَمْ يَضَعْ أَحَدُنَا يَدَهُ حَتَّى يَبْدَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَإِنَّا حَضَرْنَا مَعَهُ طَعَامًا فَجَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ كَأَنَّمَا يُدْفَعُ فَذَهَبَ لِيَضَعَ يَدَهُ فِي الطَّعَامِ فَأَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِهِ ثُمَّ جَاءَتْ جَارِيَةٌ كَأَنَّمَا تُدْفَعُ فَذَهَبَتْ لِتَضَعَ يَدَهَا فِي الطَّعَامِ فَأَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِهَا وَقَالَ
" إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَيَسْتَحِلُّ الطَّعَامَ الَّذِي لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُ جَاءَ بِهَذَا الأَعْرَابِيِّ يَسْتَحِلُّ بِهِ فَأَخَذْتُ بِيَدِهِ وَجَاءَ بِهَذِهِ الْجَارِيَةِ يَسْتَحِلُّ بِهَا فَأَخَذْتُ بِيَدِهَا فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ يَدَهُ لَفِي يَدِي مَعَ أَيْدِيهِمَا " .
When we were at food with the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) none of us put in his hand till the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)put his hand first. Once we were at food with him. A nomad Arab came in as though he were being pushed, and he was about to put his hand in food when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) seized him by the hand. Then a girl came in as though she were being pushed, and she was about to put her hand in the food when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) seized her by the hand, and he said:
The devil considers the food when Allah’s name is not mentioned over it, and he brought his nomad Arab that it might be lawful by means of him, so I seized his hand: then he brought this girl that it might be lawful by means of her, so I seized her hand. By Him in Whose hand my soul is, His hand is in my hand along with their hands.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When one of you eats, he should mention Allah's name; if he forgets to mention Allah's name at the beginning, he should say: "In the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of it."
Chapter 16: Saying Bismillah over food - كتاب الأطعمة
حَدَّثَنَا مُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ الْحَرَّانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ يُونُسَ - حَدَّثَنَا جَابِرُ بْنُ صُبْحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُثَنَّى بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْخُزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ مَخْشِيٍّ - وَكَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم - قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم جَالِسًا وَرَجُلٌ يَأْكُلُ فَلَمْ يُسَمِّ حَتَّى لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ إِلاَّ لُقْمَةٌ فَلَمَّا رَفَعَهَا إِلَى فِيهِ قَالَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ فَضَحِكَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَالَ
" مَا زَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَأْكُلُ مَعَهُ فَلَمَّا ذَكَرَ اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ اسْتَقَاءَ مَا فِي بَطْنِهِ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ جَابِرُ بْنُ صُبْحٍ جَدُّ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ حَرْبٍ مِنْ قِبَلِ أُمِّهِ .
Narrated Umayyah ibn Makhshi:
Umayyah was sitting and a man was eating. He did not mention Allah's name until there remained the last morsel. When he raised it to his mouth, he said: In the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of it. The Prophet (ﷺ) laughed and said: The devil kept eating along with him, but when he mentioned Allah's name, he vomited what was in his belly.
Abu Dawud: Jabir bin Subh is grandfather of Sulaiman bin Harb from his mother's side.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you eats, he must not eat from the top of the dish, but should eat from the bottom; for the blessing descends from the top of it.
Chapter 18: Eating from the top of the platter - كتاب الأطعمة
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْحِمْصِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عِرْقٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُسْرٍ، قَالَ كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَصْعَةٌ يُقَالُ لَهَا الْغَرَّاءُ يَحْمِلُهَا أَرْبَعَةُ رِجَالٍ فَلَمَّا أَضْحَوْا وَسَجَدُوا الضُّحَى أُتِيَ بِتِلْكَ الْقَصْعَةِ - يَعْنِي وَقَدْ ثُرِدَ فِيهَا - فَالْتَفُّوا عَلَيْهَا فَلَمَّا كَثُرُوا جَثَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ مَا هَذِهِ الْجِلْسَةُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَعَلَنِي عَبْدًا كَرِيمًا وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا عَنِيدًا " . ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " كُلُوا مِنْ حَوَالَيْهَا وَدَعُوا ذِرْوَتَهَا يُبَارَكْ فِيهَا " .
Narrated Abdullah ibn Busr:
The Prophet (ﷺ) had a bowl called gharra'. It was carried by four persons. When the sun rose high, and they performed the forenoon prayer, the bowl in which tharid was prepared was brought, and the people gathered round it. When they were numerous, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah has made me a respectable servant, and He did not make me an obstinate tyrant. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Eat from it sides and leave its top, the blessing will be conferred on it
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade two kinds of food: to sit at cloth on which wine is drunk, and to eat by a man while lying on his stomach.
Abu Dawud said : Ja'far did not hear this tradition from al-Zuhri. His tradition is rejected.
When any of you eats, he should eat with his right hand, and when he drinks, he should drink with his right hand, for the devil eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.
حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْشَرٍ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، رضى الله عنها قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
" لاَ تَقْطَعُوا اللَّحْمَ بِالسِّكِّينِ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ صَنِيعِ الأَعَاجِمِ وَانْهَسُوهُ فَإِنَّهُ أَهْنَأُ وَأَمْرَأُ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَلَيْسَ هُوَ بِالْقَوِيِّ .
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do not eat meat with a knife, for it is a foreign practice, but bite it, for it is more beneficial and wholesome.
Abu Dawud said: This tradition is not strong.
I was eating with the Prophet (ﷺ) and snatching the meat from the bone with my hand. He said: bring the bone near your mouth, for it is more beneficial and wholesome.
Abu Dawud said: 'Uthman did not hear (traditions) from Safwan. This is a mursal tradition.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُعْجِبُهُ الذِّرَاعُ . قَالَ وَسُمَّ فِي الذِّرَاعِ وَكَانَ يَرَى أَنَّ الْيَهُودَ هُمْ سَمُّوهُ .
Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:
The tradition mentioned above (No. 3771) has also been narrated by Ibn Mas'ud with a different chain of narrators.
This version has: The Prophet (ﷺ) liked the foreleg (of a sheep). Once the foreleg was poisoned, and he thought that the Jews had poisoned it.
Chapter 22: Regarding eating squash - كتاب الأطعمة
حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ إِنَّ خَيَّاطًا دَعَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِطَعَامٍ صَنَعَهُ - قَالَ أَنَسٌ - فَذَهَبْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى ذَلِكَ الطَّعَامِ فَقَرَّبَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خُبْزًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ وَمَرَقًا فِيهِ دُبَّاءٌ وَقَدِيدٌ . قَالَ أَنَسٌ فَرَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَتَبَّعُ الدُّبَّاءَ مِنْ حَوَالَىِ الصَّحْفَةِ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أُحِبُّ الدُّبَّاءَ بَعْدَ يَوْمِئِذٍ .
Anas b. Malik said:
A tailor invited the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to a meal which he had prepared. Anas said: I went along with the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) barley bread and soup containing pumpkin and dried sliced meat. Anas said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) going after the pumpkin round the dish, so I have always liked pumpkins since that day.
A man asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Is there any food from which I should keep myself away? I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Anything which creates doubt should not occur in your mind by which you resemble Christianity.