Riyad us Saliheen

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), said to me, "Mention Allah's Name (i.e., say Bismillah before starting eating), eat with your right hand, and eat from what is near you."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When any of you wants to eat, he should mention the Name of Allah in the begining, (i.e., say Bismillah). If he forgets to do it in the beginning, he should say Bismillah awwalahu wa akhirahu (I begin with the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end)."

[At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud].

I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "If a person mentions the Name of Allah upon entering his house or eating, Satan says, addressing his followers: 'You will find no where to spend the night and no dinner.' But if he enters without mentioning the Name of Allah, Satan says (to his followers); 'You have found (a place) to spend the night in, and if he does not mention the Name of Allah at the time of eating, Satan says: 'You have found (a place) to spend the night in as well as food."'

[Muslim].

When we attended a meal with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we would not stretch forth our hands towards the food until he (ﷺ) would start eating first. Once, we were with him when a little girl rushed in as if someone was impelling her. She was about to lay her hand on the food when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) caught her hand. Then a bedouin came in rushing as if someone were pushing him. He (ﷺ) caught his hand also and said, "Satan considers that food lawful for himself on which the Name of Allah is not mentioned. He (Satan) brought this girl to make the food lawful through her but I caught her hand. Then he brought the bedouin to make it lawful through him but I caught his hand too. By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, now Satan's hand is in my grasp along with their hands." Then he mentioned the Name of Allah and began to eat.

[Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting while a man was eating food. That man did not mention the Name of Allah (before commencing to eat) till only a morsel of food was left. When he raised it to his mouth, he said: "Bismillah awwalahu wa akhirahu (With the Name of Allah, in the beginning and in the end)." Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) smiled at this and said, "Satan had been eating with him but when he mentioned the Name of Allah, Satan vomited all that was in his stomach."

[Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was eating with his six Companions when a desert Arab came and ate up the food in two mouthfuls. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Had he mentioned the Name of Allah, it would have sufficed for all of you."

[At-Tirmidhi].

Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) finished a meal, he would say: "Al-hamdu lillahi hamdan kathiran taiyyiban mubarakan fihi, ghaira makfiyyin wa la muwadda`in, wa la mustaghnan `anhu, Rabbuna. (All praise is due to Allah, praise which is Abundant, pure, and full of blessings, which is indispensable and to which one cannot be indifferent).''

[Al-Bukhari].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who has taken food and says at the end: 'Al- hamdu lillahi-lladhi at'amani hadha, wa razaqanihi min ghairi haulin minni wa la quwwatin (All praise is due to Allah Who has given me food to eat and provided it without any endeavour on my part or any power),' all his past sins will be forgiven."

At-Tirmidh i].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never found fault with food. If he had inclination to eating it, he would eat; and if he disliked it, he would leave it.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked for sauce and was told that there was nothing except vinegar. He asked for it and began to eat from it saying, "How excellent is vinegar when eaten as sauce! How excellent is vinegar when eaten as Udm!"

[Muslim].