Prophet Muhammad Pbuh Manners In Eating, by Imam al-Ghazali (RA)

[Ayaz.Sayyad]

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

 

Prophet Muhammad Pbuh Manners in Eating

by al-Imam al-Ghazali

 

The Holy Nabi (SAS) ate whatever he got [and only halaal food was served to him]. To him, the best food was what all partook of. When the ma'ida (dining cloth) was spread, he used to say: In the Name of Allah, make it a gift to express gratefulness and that there might be gifts in Jannah (paradise). Whenever the Holy Nabi sat to eat, he used to sit as a praying man sits not placing one leg upon another and say: I am a mere servant, I eat as a servant eats. He used not to take any hot food and said: There is no barakat in it and Allah will not feed us with fire, so make this food cool. He used to eat whatever was presented to him with three fingers with the help of the fourth finger at times. Once a tiffin made of clarified butter, honey and wheat was presented to him. He ate it and said: How good it is. He used to eat bread, curry, dates, and salt. Of all the fresh fruits, the dearest to him were grapes, cucumber and water melon. He used to eat gourd with bread and sugar and sometimes with dates. His ordinary meal consisted of dates and water. Sometimes he mixed milk with dates. Meat was his most favorite curry. He said: Meat increases the power of hearing and is the king of foods in this world and the next. Had I prayed to my Rabb (Lord) for eating meat every day, he would have granted it. He used to eat cooked meat with gourd. He liked gourd and said: It is the fruit of a plant of my brother Yunus . The Nabi said to me: "Ya A'isha, when you cook meat, mix therewith much water as it makes the broken hearted strong." He used to eat the meat of hunted birds but he did not himself hunt or follow game.

 

He used to eat bread with butter and like goats neck and thigh. He like gourd among curries, vinegar condiment, dried dates among dates. He prayed for three things and said: These have come from paradise and they are medicines for poison and insomnia. He liked among curries creepers of yellow flower and carrot. He disliked the meat of reservoir of urine. He did not eat several things of goat --genital organ, female organ, bload, urinal meat, goitre, gall-bladder, etc. He did not eat onion and garlic, nor condemned them. He used to eat what he liked and di not eat what he did not like. He did not like to eat the meat of lizard and cockroach, neither did he prohibit them to be eaten. He used to lick up his dish with his hand and said: Most barakah is in the remnants of food. He used to lick up his fingers after a meal so much so that they assumed reddish hue. He used not to cleanse his hands with towel 'till he licked up his fingers well and said: Nobody knows in which food there is barakah. When he finished his meal, he used to say: "O Allah, for Thee is all praise. You have given me food and drink and given me satisfaction. So praise to Thee without expiation and farewell and being nor free therefrom." He was accustomed to wipe his hand well and then wash his hands and mouth with excess water ant take the name of Allah each time. He used to drink water in slow degrees and not hastily in one breath. He used not to blow in the cup of water at the time of drinking and supply food to one by his side. Once he was given milk and honey mixed together but he refused to drink it saying: Two drinks at the same time and two curries at the same time; he said: I don't make them unlawful but I consider them bad for rendering accounts on the Resurrection day as they are additional things in this world. I like modesty and Allah raises up one who humbles himself for Allah. He lived in his house more bashful than an unmarried girl. He used not to order for preparation of any food and eat whatever wsa given to him and remain silent if not given.

[Faizan-e-Mustafa]

JazakAllahu Khayra.

 

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