Ibn ‘Abbas told that the Prophet was brought a dish containing tharid* and said, “Eat from its sides and not from the middle, for the blessing descends in the middle of it.”
*Bread crumbled and mixed with soup which may have pieces of meat in it.
Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih tradition. In Abu Dawud’s version he said, “When one of you eats he must not eat from the top of the dish, but from the bottom, for the blessing descends from the top of it.”
Ibn ‘Abbas told that when food was presented to the Prophet or, his coming out from the privy and he was asked whether they should bring him water for ablution, he replied, “I have been commanded to perform ablution only when I get up for prayer.”
Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it on Abu Huraira’s authority.
Salman said he read in the Torah that the blessing of food consists in ablution after it, and when he mentioned that to the Prophet he said, “The blessing of food consists in ablution before it and ablution after it.”
