Sunnan of Eating

Sunnahs before eating:

1- Pronounce Tasmiyah: Say Tasmiyah before eating (I.e Bismil Allāh, in the name of Allah).

2- Eat with the right hand: Use your right hand to eat the food.

3- Eating from in front of you:

Above three Sunnahs are recorded in this hadith: “O young man, mention the name of Allah, use your right hand and eat from what is (placed) in front of you”. (Muslim 2022).
                           

The etiquettes of sitting while eating:

1-Do not lean while eating: Narrated Abu Juhaifa: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "I do not take my meals while leaning (against something). (Sahih al-Bukhari 5398)

The way one sits while eating: kneeling on his knees and the upper

face of his feet, or keep the right leg upright and sit on the left one, this

is the preferable as stated by Al-Hafedh in “Al-Fat’h”.

Sunnahs while you are eating:

1-do not waste the food: If some food drops, pick it up, clean it and then eat it.

The hadith is, "if you drop a bit of food, then remove from it whatever there is of dirt and then eat it…..(Muslim 2034).

2-Eat with three fingers.

Prophet (SAWW) used to eat with three fingers. “This is his (SAWW)’s way of eating and this is better unless a need requires otherwise”. ( Muslim 2032)

3-Eating less :

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Messenger (SAWW) said, "A Muslim eats in one intestine (i.e. he is satisfied with a little food) while a Kafir (unbeliever) eats in seven intestines (eats much). (al-Bukhari 5396)

According to another Hadith: ‘A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must (fill it), then one-third of food, one third for drink and one third for air.’ ( Ibn Majah 3474)

4- Licking the dish and the fingers: The Prophet (SAWW) ordered (us)

to lick the fingers and the dish and said: “you do not know in which (the morsel of the food) is the blessing ”.(Muslim 2033)

5-Never criticise the food: The Prophet(SAWW) never criticised any food( he was invited to) he used to eat it if he liked the food and leave it if he disliked the food. (Bukhari 5409).

6-Sit while you are eating: It is advised to eat while sitting.

Sunnahs After eating:

1- Praise Allah after eating:

Praise Allah after eating, as Prophet(SAWW) said; “Verily, Allah is pleased with the slave, who eats a meal, then praises Him for it. (Muslim 2734).

Sunnah supplication after eating: Prophet(SAWW) used to praise Allah in these words;

الْحَمْـدُ للهِ الَّذي أَطْعَمَنـي هـذا وَرَزَقَنـيهِ مِنْ غَـيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلا قُوَّة

 (All praise is to Allah, Who Has fed me and provided me with this without any strength or power from myself).

The benefit of this sunnah: 

l The fruit of this supplication is that: The person’s past sins are forgiven. (at Tirmidhee 3458,Ibn Maajah 3285)