Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (97) | Dining etiquette book

0:00 *Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn* from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:09 The Book of the Etiquette of Eating.

0:15 Chapter: Saying "Bismillāh" at the beginning and praising Allah at the end.

0:20 On the authority of 'Umar ibn Abī Salamah, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:

0:27 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to me:

0:31 "Mention the name of Allah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is directly in front of you." Agreed upon.

0:39 And on the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:

0:43 The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

0:46 "When one of you eats, let him mention the name of Allah the Exalted;

0:51 and if he forgets to mention the name of Allah the Exalted at the beginning,

0:56 let him say: 'Bismillāhi awwalahu wa-ākhirahu' (In the name of Allah, at its beginning and its end)."

1:01 Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi.

1:04 Among the benefits derived from the hadith:

1:07 The Sunnah in saying the name of Allah is using the phrase "Bismillāh",

1:12 and there is no textual proof for those who say "Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm".

1:17 Some scholars claimed

1:19 that the basmalah should be said over every single morsel,

1:23 but this is invalid;

1:24 for saying the name of Allah is at the beginning of the meal,

1:27 and there is no repetition.

1:29 Through mentioning the name of Allah, blessing is attained,

1:32 and Satan is deprived of sharing in the food.

1:37 Man is prone to frequent forgetfulness;

1:40 so whoever does not say "Bismillāh" at the beginning of the meal out of forgetfulness,

1:43 there is no blame upon him,

1:45 but he must say the name of Allah once he remembers,

1:48 saying:

1:49 "Bismillāhi awwalahu wa-ākhirahu" (In the name of Allah, at its beginning and its end).

1:54 And on the authority of Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

1:57 I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say:

2:02 "When a man enters his home

2:05 and mentions Allah the Exalted upon entering and over his food,

2:09 Satan says to his companions:

2:12 'You have no lodging tonight and no dinner.'

2:15 But when he enters and does not mention Allah the Exalted upon entering,

2:20 Satan says:

2:22 'You have found lodging.'

2:24 And when he does not mention Allah the Exalted over his food,

2:28 he says:

2:29 'You have found both lodging and dinner.'"

2:32 Narrated by Muslim.

2:34 Among the benefits derived from the hadith:

2:37 Everything over which the name of Allah

2:39 is mentioned,

2:41 Satan despairs of it.

2:44 Satan closely observes the son of Adam

2:46 in his actions and conduct,

2:48 and in all his affairs;

2:50 so whenever he becomes heedless,

2:52 Satan takes advantage of his heedlessness and achieves

2:54 his desired goal through him.

2:56 Satan stays overnight in homes

2:58 wherein Allah the Exalted is not mentioned,

3:00 and he eats from the food

3:02 of its occupants if the name of Allah is not mentioned

3:04 over it.

3:07 Every devil has followers

3:09 and allies who rejoice

3:11 at his word and obey

3:13 his command.

3:16 And on the authority of Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him,

3:18 who said: "Whenever

3:20 we were present with the Messenger of Allah,

3:22 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, at a meal,

3:24 we would not put

3:26 our hands forward until

3:28 the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, had begun

3:30 and placed his hand.

3:32 Once, we were present with him at a meal,

3:34 and a young girl rushed in

3:36 as if she were being pushed,

3:38 and she went to place

3:40 her hand into the food;

3:42 but the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, took

3:44 her by the hand.

3:46 Then there came

3:48 a Bedouin as if he were being pushed,

3:50 so he took him by his hand.

3:52 Then the Messenger of Allah,

3:54 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

3:56 'Indeed, Satan

3:58 considers food lawful for himself

4:00 unless the name of Allah the Exalted is mentioned

4:02 over it;

4:04 and he brought this girl

4:06 in order to make it lawful through her,

4:08 but I took her by the hand;

4:10 then he brought this Bedouin

4:12 in order to make it lawful through him,

4:14 but I took him by the hand.

4:16 By the One in Whose hand is my soul,

4:18 his hand was in my hand

4:20 along with their two hands.'

4:22 Then he mentioned the name of Allah the Exalted

4:24 and ate."

4:26 Narrated by Muslim.

4:29 This contains

4:31 a clear demonstration of the manners of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

4:33 namely, their waiting

4:35 for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

4:37 until

4:39 he commenced eating.

4:41 Among the table manners

4:44 is that the younger person should wait

4:46 until the elder begins,

4:48 as well as the person of virtue, before eating.

4:50 Satan is unable to partake

4:52 of the food of the people of faith

4:54 except when the name of Allah is not mentioned

4:56 over it.

4:59 He pushes some heedless individuals toward actions

5:01 that please him,

5:03 in order to gain access

5:05 to his objective.

5:07 The obligation to change an evil deed

5:09 for whoever is knowledgeable regarding it.

5:12 Satan eats in a real, literal sense

5:14 and drinks in a real, literal sense,

5:16 and he possesses two hands that he uses

5:18 for his needs.

5:21 And on the authority of Umayyah ibn Makhshi,

5:23 the Companion, may Allah be pleased with him,

5:25 who said:

5:27 The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

5:29 was sitting

5:31 while a man was eating

5:33 without mentioning the name of Allah,

5:35 until nothing remained of his food

5:37 except a single morsel.

5:39 When he raised it to his mouth,

5:41 he said:

5:43 "Bismillāhi awwalahu wa-ākhirahu" (In the name of Allah, at its beginning and its end).

5:45 The Prophet, peace be upon him, laughed

5:49 and then said:

5:51 "Satan continued eating with him,

5:53 but when he mentioned the name of Allah,

5:55 he vomited up whatever was in his stomach."

5:57 Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i.

6:01 Among the benefits derived from the hadith:

6:04 It is permissible for people of knowledge

6:06 to observe those below them

6:08 in order to benefit them in their religious affairs.

6:10 The permissibility

6:13 of informing people about a mistake

6:15 that occurred and correcting it,

6:17 if there is a benefit in doing so

6:19 and a legitimate interest,

6:21 provided it involves no public shaming.

6:23 Satan shares in the food

6:25 of whoever does not mention the name of Allah.

6:27 Indeed, mentioning Allah over food,

6:30 even if nothing remains of it

6:32 except a small portion,

6:34 deprives Satan of everything

6:36 he had eaten before.

6:38 The Sunnah for one who forgets

6:40 to mention the name of Allah at the beginning of the meal

6:42 is to mention the name of Allah

6:44 whenever he remembers,

6:46 by saying:

6:48 "Bismillāhi awwalahu wa-ākhirahu."

6:50 The permissibility of marveling at or lightheartedly addressing

6:53 careless behavior

6:55 when something happens that warrants it.

6:57 Satan literally vomits.

7:03 And on the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,

7:05 who said:

7:07 The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

7:09 was eating food

7:11 among six of his Companions,

7:13 when a Bedouin came

7:15 and devoured it in two morsels.

7:17 Thereupon,

7:19 the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

7:21 "As for him,

7:23 had he mentioned the name of Allah, it would have sufficed you all."

7:25 Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

7:27 Among the benefits derived from the hadith:

7:30 The recommendation of gathering together

7:32 over food,

7:34 even if it is little.

7:36 The permissibility of joining others

7:39 in eating their food after

7:41 seeking their permission.

7:43 The remembrance of Allah the Exalted brings blessing

7:45 into everything.

7:47 The participation of Satan

7:49 and his minions in anything

7:51 eradicates its blessing.

7:53 Therefore, it is incumbent upon the people of faith

7:55 to ward off harmful

7:57 and evil influences by lawful, prescribed means.

7:59 And on the authority of Abu Umamah,

8:03 may Allah be pleased with him,

8:05 that whenever

8:07 the Prophet, peace be upon him,

8:09 finished his meal and the tablecloth was lifted, he would say:

8:11 "Al-ḥamdu lillāhi

8:13 Abundant, good, and blessed [praise],

8:15 insufficient though it may be,

8:17 never to be departed from,

8:19 nor left behind,

8:21 Our Lord.

8:23 Narrated by al-Bukhari.

8:25 "Insufficient" means

8:27 He is in no need of any of His creation,

8:29 for He is the One who feeds

8:31 and is not fed.

8:34 "Departed from"

8:36 means not abandoned.

8:39 Among the benefits of the hadith:

8:41 Allah Almighty alone

8:43 is deserving of praise, to the exclusion of all others,

8:45 for He is the Owner of blessings

8:47 and the Bestower of good

8:49 upon His servants.

8:52 No one can fulfill the needs of His servants

8:54 except Allah.

8:56 All servants are in need

8:58 of Him,

9:00 while He is independent of them, showing favor upon them.

9:02 The obligation

9:04 of offering thanks to every

9:06 benefactor according to what is necessitated by

9:08 the situation.

9:12 On the authority of Mu'adh ibn Anas

9:14 (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

9:16 The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

9:18 "Whoever eats

9:20 food and says,

9:22 'Praise be to Allah,

9:24 Who fed me this

9:26 and provided it for me without any power from me

9:28 nor strength,'

9:30 his past sins shall be forgiven

9:32 for him."

9:34 Narrated by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi.

9:36 Among the benefits of

9:39 the hadith:

9:41 A clarification of Allah Almighty's immense favor

9:43 upon His servants,

9:45 for He opened the door of mercy for them

9:47 and rewarded them with His immense

9:49 generosity.

9:51 Attaining provision is not achieved

9:53 through the servant's own strength,

9:55 but rather through the grace of Allah Almighty.

9:58 All blessings are entirely from Allah, the Mighty and Sublime,

10:00 and are not attained through their own power

10:02 nor strength.

10:04 Yet despite all this,

10:06 if they thank Him, He increases them

10:08 in bounty and goodness.

10:11 Glad tidings for the people of faith:

10:13 whenever they abound in gratitude,

10:15 their sins are forgiven.

10:19 Chapter: On Not Faulting Food

10:21 and the Recommendation to Praise It.

10:23 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah

10:27 (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

10:29 The Messenger of Allah

10:31 (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never

10:33 faulted any food at all.

10:35 If he desired it, he ate it;

10:37 and if he disliked it, he left it.

10:40 Agreed upon.

10:43 Among the benefits of the hadith:

10:45 Any permissible food,

10:48 the Prophet

10:50 (peace be upon him)

10:52 would never fault it.

10:54 As for unlawful food, he would criticize it,

10:56 censure it, and forbid it.

10:58 The greatness of the noble character of the Messenger of Allah

11:00 (peace be upon him),

11:02 as he used to be considerate of

11:04 the feelings of the makers and cooks,

11:06 never disparaging their work,

11:08 nor hurting

11:10 their feelings, nor breaking

11:12 their hearts.

11:15 Demonstrating good etiquette,

11:17 as a person might not desire

11:19 a certain food, while someone else desires it.

11:21 Everything permitted

11:23 by the Islamic law

11:25 contains no defect.

11:28 Teaching people how

11:30 to deal with food they dislike,

11:32 which is simply to leave it.

11:34 On the authority of Jabir

11:37 (may Allah be pleased with him):

11:39 The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

11:41 asked his family for condiment,

11:43 and they said,

11:45 "We have nothing except

11:47 vinegar."

11:49 So he called for it,

11:51 and began eating, saying,

11:53 "What an excellent condiment is vinegar!

11:55 What an excellent condiment is vinegar!"

11:57 Narrated by Muslim.

12:00 Condiment refers to anything eaten with bread,

12:02 whether liquid

12:04 or solid.

12:06 Among the benefits of the hadith:

12:08 Praising moderation in eating,

12:10 for it is half of one's livelihood.

12:12 Restraining the soul

12:14 from everything it desires,

12:16 for a person should not buy and eat

12:18 everything he craves.

12:21 Praising vinegar,

12:23 whether for its own sake

12:25 or to comfort the feelings of his family.

12:27 Chapter: What Should Be Said by One

12:32 Who Attends a Meal While He Is

12:34 Fasting, if He Does Not Break His Fast.

12:36 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah

12:39 (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

12:41 The Messenger of Allah

12:43 (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

12:45 "When one of you is invited,

12:47 he should accept [the invitation].

12:49 If he is fasting,

12:51 he should pray [for the host];

12:53 and if he is not fasting,

12:55 he should eat."

12:58 Narrated by Muslim.

13:00 The scholars said:

13:02 "He should pray" means he should supplicate for them,

13:04 and "he should eat"

13:06 means he should partake of the food.

13:08 Among the benefits of the hadith:

13:10 The obligation of responding to an invitation,

13:12 whether one is fasting

13:14 or not fasting.

13:17 A voluntary faster

13:19 is the master of his own decision:

13:21 he may break his fast, or he may complete

13:23 his fast.

13:25 A fasting person, if he does not eat,

13:27 occupies himself with supplicating for the host

13:29 for blessings and goodness.

13:32 Fasting does not prevent one

13:34 from attending a banquet,

13:36 even if he does not eat;

13:38 for the host and attendees may feel blessed

13:40 by his presence,

13:42 they may take pride in his attendance,

13:44 and they may benefit

13:46 from his supplication or his advice.

13:50 Chapter: What Should Be Said by One

13:52 Who Is Invited to a Meal

13:54 and Someone Else Follows Him.

13:58 On the authority of Abu Mas'ud

14:00 (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

14:02 A man invited the Prophet

14:04 (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

14:06 to a meal he had prepared for five people, he being the fifth of five.

14:08 But another man followed them,

14:10 and when he reached the door,

14:12 the Prophet

14:14 (peace be upon him) said:

14:16 "This man has followed us;

14:18 if you wish, you may permit him,

14:20 and if you wish,

14:22 he will return."

14:24 The host said, "Rather, I permit him,

14:26 O Messenger of Allah."

14:28 Agreed upon.

14:32 Among the benefits of the hadith:

14:34 The prescribed nature of hospitality,

14:36 and its strong recommendation

14:38 for those whose need for it is paramount.

14:40 Whoever prepares food

14:42 for another

14:44 has two choices:

14:46 either to send it to him,

14:48 or to invite him to his home.

14:51 Whoever invites someone

14:53 is recommended to invite along with him

14:55 those he considers his close companions

14:57 and associates.

14:59 The recommendation that a leader,

15:01 a noble person, or a prominent figure accept

15:03 the invitation of those below them in status.

15:05 Whoever prepares food

15:08 for a group of people

15:10 should prepare it according to their capacity,

15:12 if he is unable to provide more.

15:14 If someone uninvited joins an invitation,

15:16 the host has the right

15:18 to turn him away;

15:20 and if he enters without permission,

15:22 the host may ask him to leave.

15:24 whoever intends to come uninvited

15:27 is not turned away at the outset,

15:29 since the man followed the Prophet,

15:31 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

15:33 and he did not send him back,

15:35 allowing for the possibility that the host might graciously grant him permission.

15:39 An invited person is not permitted

15:41 to bring someone else along

15:43 unless he knows that the host

15:45 would be pleased with that.

15:48 An invited guest should not

15:50 refuse to attend

15:52 if the host declines

15:54 to grant permission to some of his companions.

15:56 It is proper for the host, when asked for such

15:58 permission, to grant it

16:00 to the uninvited guest,

16:02 as this is part of noble character.

16:05 *Riyad al-Salihin*

16:07 *Riyad al-Salihin*.

Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (97) | Dining etiquette book

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