Foods

I was a boy under the protection of God’s messenger, and as my hand used to roam at large in the dish he said to me, “Mention God’s name, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is next you.”

(Bukhari and Muslim.)

Hudhaifa reported God’s messenger as saying, “The devil considers food lawful for him when God’s name is not mentioned over it.”

Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying that when a man enters his house and mentions God’s name on entering and when at his food, the devil says, “You* have no place to spend the night and no evening meal; ” but when he enters without mentioning God’s name on entering the devil says, “You have found a place to spend the night; ” and when he does not mention God at his food he says, “You have found a place to spend the night and an evening meal.”
*The pronoun is plural. The devil is said to be addressing his assistants.

Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “When any of you eats he should eat with his right hand, and when he drinks he should drink with his right hand.”

Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “None of you must ever eat or drink with his left hand, for the devil eats and drinks with his left hand.”

Muslim transmitted it.

Ka'b b. Malik said that God's messenger used to eat with three fingers and lick his hand before wiping it.

Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir said the Prophet ordered people to lick their fingers and the dish, saying, “You do not know in what portion blessing lies.”

Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, “When one of you eats he must not wipe his hand till he licks it, or gives it to someone to lick.”

(Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir told that he heard the Prophet say, “The devil is present with one of you in everything he does, even being present when he is at food; so if any of you drops a mouthful he should wipe away anything injurious on it and eat it and not leave it for the devil; and when he finishes he should lick his fingers, for he does not know in what part of the food the blessing lies.”

Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Juhaifa reported the Prophet as saying, “I do not eat reclining.”

Bukhari transmitted it.

Qatada quoted Anas as saying that the Prophet never ate at a low table or from a small bowl* and that thin bread was not baked for him. Qatada was asked what they ate off and replied that it was off leather cloths.
*This would have indicated pride throngh keeping himself apart, or niggardliness.

Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas said he was not aware of the Prophet having seen a thin loaf till he met God, nor did he ever see with his eye a sheep roasted in its skin.

Bukhari transmitted it.

Sahl b. Sa‘d said that God’s messenger never saw white bread from the time God commissioned him till God took him. He also said that God's messenger did not see a sieve from the time God commissioned him till God took him. He was asked how they could eat unsifted barley and replied that they ground it and blew it, and when some of it had flown away they moistened and ate what was left.

Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that the Prophet never expressed disapproval of food; if he desired it he ate it and if he disliked it he left it alone.

(Bukhari and Muslim.)

He told that a man who used to eat a great amount accepted Islam and began to eat little. When that was mentioned to the Prophet he said, “The believer eats in one intestine but the infidel in seven.”*
*This is explained as a figure of speech to indicate the greed of the infidel and the lack of greed on the part of the believer.

Bukhari transmitted it. Muslim transmitted on the authority of Abu Musa and Ibn ‘Umar only the part which quotes the Prophet. In another version by him on the authority of Abu Huraira it says that a man who was an infidel was entertained by God’s messenger. He ordered a sheep to be milked and the man drank what was drawn from it, then another and he drank it, then another and he drank it, till he had drunk the milk drawn from seven sheep. In the morning the man accepted Islam and God’s messenger ordered a sheep to be milked for him . When he had drunk what was drawn from it he ordered another to be milked, but when he did not finish all the milk God’s messenger said, “ The believer drinks in one intestine, but the infidel drinks in seven.”

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “Two people’s food is enough for three and three people’s is enough for four.”

(Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir told of hearing God's messenger say, “One person’s food is enough for two, two persons’ food is enough for four, and four persons' food is enough for eight.”

Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha told that she heard God’s messenger say, “Talbina* gives rest to an invalid’s heart and removes some of his grief.”
*A kind of gruel made of flour or bran and milk, sometimes having honey mixed with it.

(Bukhari and Muslim.)

A tailor invited the Prophet to a meal which he had prepared and I went along with the Prophet. He presented barley bread and soup containing pumpkin and dried sliced meat, and I saw the Prophet going after the pumpkin round the dish, so I have always liked pumpkin since that day.

(Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Amr b. Umayya told that he saw the Prophet cutting slices from a shoulder of mutton in his hand. He was summoned to prayer, and after throwing it and the knife with which he was slicing it away, he stood up and prayed without performing ablution.

(Bukhari and Muslim.)