Eating Etiquettes

**Eleven Etiquettes of Eating:** **1. Say Bismillah at the start** **Evidence:** The Prophet ﷺ said to a boy: "Name Allah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is nearest to you" [Agreed upon]. **2. Eat with the right hand** Per the same hadith above. **3. Eat from what is nearest** Per the same hadith. Unless companions don't mind, or if alone, or if the food has different types. **4. Say Alhamdulillah at the end** **Evidence:** The Prophet ﷺ would say when the table was lifted: "Praise be to Allah, abundant, pure, blessed praise - not abandoned, nor dispensed with, our Lord" [Bukhari]. Also: "Allah is pleased with the servant who eats a meal and praises Him for it" [Muslim]. **5. Eat on a sufrah (cloth)** **Evidence:** Anas said: "The Prophet ﷺ never ate on a khiwan (table) or from a small bowl, nor was bread made thin for him" [Bukhari]. **6. Disliked to eat while reclining** **Evidence:** The Prophet ﷺ said: "I do not eat while reclining" [Bukhari]. **7. Don't criticize food** **Evidence:** "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never criticized food - if he desired it, he ate it; if not, he left it" [Agreed upon]. **8. Eat from the edges, not center** **Evidence:** "Eat from its sides, don't eat from its center, for the blessing descends in its center" [Tirmidhi - authentic]. **9. Eat with three fingers and lick them** **Evidence:** "The Prophet ﷺ would eat with three fingers and not wipe his hand until he licked them" [Muslim]. **10. Eat what falls** **Evidence:** "If one of you drops a morsel, let him remove any dirt and eat it, and not leave it for Satan" [Muslim]. **11. Wipe and lick the dish** **Evidence:** "He commanded us to scrape the bowl" [Muslim] and "You don't know in which part the blessing is" [Muslim].