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Chapter
28:
Foods and Drinks (Hadith -- The
Traditions):
(Note:
The superscript-numbers [e.g., intention2]
that
appear in the text [in
pink]
refer to the numbers of the explanatory footnotes that
appear at the end of each Hadith
[Tradition].)
1
Anas said,
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him,
sacrificed two rams of a white colour mixed with black; I
saw him with his foot placed on one side of their face,
uttering Bismillah, Allah-u-Akbar, and he slaughtered
them with his own hand.1
(B. 73 : 9.)
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1
The concluding portion of this hadith relates the
exact words that must be uttered when an animal is
slaughtered. The condition that Allah's name must
be mentioned over the slaughtered animal is laid
down to make man realize that the taking of a life,
even though it be an animal, is a serious matter,
and that it is by Divine permission that man does
it, not by his superior might. If a man forgets to
mention the name of Allah, the meat is still
allowed (B. 72 : 15).
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2
Rafi` said,
We were with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, in Dhu-l-Hulaifah . . . . So Rafi` said, We expect or
we fear the enemy tomorrow and we have no knives; may be
slaughter with (the thin edge of) cane? He (the Prophet)
said :
"What makes the blood flow,
not the teeth and the nail, and the name of Allah is
mentioned on it, eat it."2
(B. 47 : 3.)
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2
This hadith shows that an animal may be slaughtered
with any sharp instrument that makes the blood flow
out. The object is that blood which contains
poisons should not form part of human
food.
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3
Nafi` said,
Ibn `Umar forbade (the cutting of) the spinal cord, saying,
Cut what is above the bone, then leave (it) until it dies.
(B. 72 : 24.)
4
Ibn `Abbas said,
Slaughtering is in the throat and in the pit above the
breast between the collar bones. 3
(B. 72 : 24.)
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3
There are two ways of slaughtering; dhabh in which
the throat is cut from beneath at the part next to
the head, while the animal is made to lie down
under one's foot, and nahr, in which the animal is
stabbed, while in a standing posture, in the nahr
(the place where the wind-pipe commences in the
uppermost part of the breast). The latter practice
is resorted to in the case of bigger animals, such
as camels and cows, on account of the difficulty of
making them lie down. But an animal that may be
stabbed may also be slaughtered. In both cases, it
is a necessary condition that the spinal cord is
not cut. If, however, the head is cut off by
mistake, it does not make the meat unlawful (B. 72
: 24).
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5
Mu`adh ibn Sa`d reported,
A slave girl of Ka`b ibn Malik was pasturing sheep in Sal`,
and one of the goats was afflicted, so she caught hold of it
and slaughtered it with a stone. The Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, was asked about it, and he
said,
"Eat it." (B. 72 :
19.)
6
Zuhri said,
There is no harm in (eating) an animal slaughtered by a
Christian of Arabia; if thou hearest him invoking another
name than that of Allah, do not eat it, and if thou dost not
hear him, Allah has made it lawful, and He knew their
unbelief.4
(B. 72 : 22.)
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4
The view expressed here by Zuhri is supported by
Ibn `Abbas (Ah. I, 302), who explains the word food
in 5 : 5 -- "The food of those who have been given
the Book is lawful for you--" as meaning the animal
slaughtered by them. Only if it is known for
certain that a name other than that of Allah has
been invoked, would it be unlawful.
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7
`A'ishah said,
Some people said to the Prophet, peace and blessings of
Allah be on him, People5
bring to us meat about
which we do not know whether the name of Allah was mentioned
over it or not. He said,
"Mention the name of Allah
over it and eat it."
She said, and they had just emerged
from unbelief. (B. 72 : 21.)
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5
These people, as `A'ishah explains, were recent
converts to Islam, and therefore it was doubtful
whether they observed the details of the
Law.
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8
Abu Th`labah said,
I said, O Prophet of Allah! We live in the land of the
followers of the Book; may we eat in their vessels? And (we
live) in a land where there is game, -- I hunt with my bow
and with my dog which is untaught and with my dog that has
been taught, so what is right for me? He said :
"As to what thou askest about
the followers of the Book, if you can find (vessels)
other than these, do not eat in them; and if you do not
find (other vessels), wash them and eat in
them.6
And what thou huntest with thy bow, and thou hast
mentioned the name of Allah, eat (it);7
and what thou huntest with the dog that thou hast taught,
and thou hast mentioned the name of Allah, eat (it); and
what thou huntest with thy untaught dog and thou art able
to slaughter it, eat (it)." (B. 72 : 4.)
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6
Washing was required because they were also used
for prohibited foods.
7
The same rule
would apply to game shot with a gun. The Bismillah
should be uttered at the time of loading the gun or
when firing it. If a Muslim forgets to mention the
name of Allah, the same rule would apply as in
slaughtering, i.e., the game is allowed as
food.
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9
`Umar said,
The game of the sea is that which has been hunted, and its
food (ta`am) is that which it casts forth. . . . . .
. . . And Ibn `Abbas said, Eat of the game of the sea
whether it is (killed) by a Christian or a Jew or a
Magian.8
(B. 72 : 12.)
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8
The reference here is to v. 6 quoted above. The
ta`am (lit, food) of the sea is distinguished from
its game, and means what is found, the sea having
thrown it on dry land, or what is left by the water
having receded from it, for the catching of which
no struggle is needed. Fish, even if caught alive,
is not required to be slaughtered. Eel, frog or
tortoise may be eaten, according to
some.
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10
Abu Tha`labah said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, forbade all beasts of prey with canine
teeth.9
(B. 72 : 29.)
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9
Muslim adds, birds of prey with claw (M-Msh. 19 :
2).
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11
Anas said,
I was giving drink to people in the abode of Abu Talhah, and
their wine at that time was made of dates. Then the
Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on him,
ordered a crier to make it known that wine was forbidden. He
said, So Abu Talhah said to me, Get out and pour it out. I
poured it out, and it flowed in the streets of
Madinah.10
(B. 46 : 21.)
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10
The Arabic word for wine is khamr, from khamara
meaning he covered or veiled a thing; and wine is
so called because it veils (obscures) the intellect
(LL). It is not only the expressed juice of grapes
when it has fermented but the intoxicating
expressed juice of anything (LL). In Arabia, at
that time, wine was generally made of grapes,
dates, wheat, barley and honey (B. 74 : 4). Fresh
juice of grapes or dates is not prohibited (B. 67 :
72).
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12
`A'ishah said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, was asked about bit` -- it is a drink made of honey and
the people of Yaman used to drink it. So the Messenger of
Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, said,
"Every drink that intoxicates
is prohibited."11
(B. 74 : 3.)
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11
Everything which intoxicates is prohibited, whether
it is a drink or any other drug.
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13
Jabir said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"Of whatever thing a large
quantity intoxicates, even a small quantity is
prohibited."12
(AD. 25 : 5.)
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12
An intoxicant cannot, therefore, be used even in
small quantities; unless, of course, it is used as
a medicine to save life, for which purpose the Holy
Qur'an expressly allows the use of prohibited foods
: "Whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring nor
exceeding the limit, no sin shall be upon him" (2 :
173 ; 6 : 146).
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14
Salman reported,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"The blessing of food is the
washing of hands before it, and the washing of hands
after it."13
(Tr-Msh. 20.)
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13
The word used here is wudzu', but it means only the
washing of hands.
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15
Suwaid ibn al-Nu`man said:
We went forth with the Messenger of Allah, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, to Khaibar. When we reached
Sahba', he ordered the food to be served; and there was
brought to him nothing but meal of parched barley, and we
ate (of it); then he got up for the prayer and he rinsed his
mouth and we rinsed our mouths.14
(B. 50 : 51.)
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14
Rinsing of the mouth after taking food is
necessary, so that particles of food may not be
left in the mouth to rot.
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16
`Umar ibn Abu Salamah said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
I was a boy being brought up in the
care of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah
be on him, and my hand was active in the bowl, taking from
every side. So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings
of Allah be on him, said to me,
"Boy! Say Bismillah
and eat with thy right hand and eat from the side nearest
to thee."
So this was my manner of eating
afterwards.
17
Abu Sa`id al-Khudri said,
When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be
on him, finished his meal, he used to say :
"All praise is due to Allah
Who has given us to eat and to drink, and made us
Muslims."15
(Tr-Msh. 20.)
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15
A Muslim is taught to start food with the mention
of the name of Allah, and to give thanks to God
after having finished it. He thus feels the Divine
presence when satisfying his physical
desires.
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18
Abu Qatadah said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"When one of you drinks, he
should not blow into the vessel."16
(B. 4 : 18.)
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16
The words of another hadith (Ah, I, 309) are that
the Holy Prophet forbade blowing on food and
drink.
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19
Jabir said,
Abu Humaid brought a cup of milk from Naqi`, and the
Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on him,
said to him :
"Why didst thou not cover it?
Thou shouldst have placed a piece of wood on it."
(B. 74 : 11.)
20
Jabir reported,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"When you go to sleep, put
out the lamp and shut the doors and cover the mouths of
water-skins and cover food and drink." (B. 74 :
21.)
21
Ja`far ibn `Amr reported,
His father informed him that he saw the Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, cutting (meat) from the
shoulder of a goat. Then he was invited to prayer, so he
threw away the knife and said prayers and did not perform
ablutions.17
(B. 4 : 50.)
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17
It is not forbidden to help oneself in eating with
a spoon or a fork, as the Holy Prophet helped
himself with a knife in this case.
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22
Hudhaifah said,
. . . . . I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah
be on him, say :
"Do not wear silk or silk
brocade, and do not drink in vessels of gold and silver,
and do not eat in bowls made of them; for they are for
them in this life and for us in the next."
18
(B. 70 : 29.)
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18
These are luxuries which can be enjoyed by the rich
at the expense of the poor; hence they are
forbidden to a Muslim.
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23
`Abd Allah ibn `Umar said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said :
"When a person is invited (to
a meal) and he does not accept (or reply), he disobeys
Allah and His Messenger; and he who goes (to a feast)
without being invited enters as a thief and goes forth as
a raider." (AD. 26 : 1.)
24
Abu Hurairah reported on the authority of the Prophet, peace
and blessings of Allah be on him :
"When the servant brings to
one of you his food, then if he does not make him sit
with him (to eat at the same table), let him give him a
morsel or two morsels, for he has laboured to prepare
it.19
(B. 49 : 18.)
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19
To make the servant sit at the same table with his
master shows the extent to which the Islamic
brotherhood minimizes differences of rank and
wealth.
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25
`Umar said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"Eat together and do not eat
separately, for the blessing is with the
company."20
(IM-Msh. 20 :
1.)
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20
Islam thus requires even the people of a household
to take their food together.
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26
Ja`far ibn Muhammad reported on the authority of his
father.
When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be
on him, ate in the company of (other) people, he was the
last of them (to finish) eating.21
(Msh. 20 :
1.)
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21
This hadith and the one that follows relate to good
manners in eating. The man who eats less than his
companion should eat slowly, so that he finishes
along with his companions.
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27
Ibn `Umar said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"When food is placed (before
a company), no one should get up until the food is
removed; nor should any one raise up his hand (from the
food), though he may have satisfied his hunger, until the
people have finished -- and he should offer an excuse --
for this causes his companion to become ashamed, so he
withholds his hand though he may still need food."
(IM-Msh. 20 : 1.)
28
Abu Hurairah said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"It is the sunnah that a man
should accompany his guest to the door of the house."
(IM-Msh. 20 : 1.)
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