Alī al-Qārī said,
There is another chapter towards the end of this book that talks about the food and drink of the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, it seems that this short chapter is intended to highlight the poverty faced by the Prophet and some of his companions while the other long chapter highlights the poverty faced by the Prophet and his family. The other possible explanation is that this short chapter is dedicated to detailing the hardship he experienced at the beginning [of his prophethood] and the long chapter highlights that which he experienced at the end of his life.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī said,
It appears as if this chapter is repeated at the end of the book but this chapter is intended to indicate the poverty of the Prophet (peace be upon him) while the other one is to indicate the type of food and drink he used to consume.
71. Muhammad ibn Sirīn narrated: “We were with Abū Hurayrah while he was wearing two linen garments dyed with red clay. He cleaned his nose with his garment upon which he said, ‘Well done! Well done! Abū Hurairah is cleaning his nose with linen! There came a time when I would fall unconscious between the pulpit of Allāh’s Messenger and Aisha’s dwelling whereupon a passer-by would come and put his foot on my neck, thinking I suffer from epilepsy, while in fact, I suffered nothing but hunger.’” [87]
Al-Bajūrī said,
“Well done! Well done!”: This is often said to express one’s pleasure and joy but it could be used in the context of condemnation in the case of this hadīth.
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
“Abū Hurairah is cleaning his nose with linen”: This is an expression of the change he experienced in terms of wealth as he was very poor and then later, he was cleaning his nose with a linen garment.
Alī al-Qārī said,
“A passer-by would come and put his foot on my neck”: The habit of people when seeing a person suffering an epileptic seizure was to keep their feet on the neck to hold the person still until the seizure ended.
This hadīth was included in this chapter as it indicates the poverty of the Prophet (peace be upon him) at that time. This is because if he had any food he would have shared it with his companions, particularly due to the fact that he used to look after them and treated them as his guests.
72. Mālik ibn Dinār narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) never reached the state of being satisfactorily full, neither from bread nor meat, except when he used to eat with people.” [88]
Al-Bajūrī said,
“Except when he used to eat with people”: This refers to filling two thirds of his stomach, as in feasts he would stay to show courtesy to the people and to show them that he loves the food. With that said, it is an obvious error on the part of those who claimed that he (peace be upon him) used to reach the state of satiety [or overeat] in feasts. This is because it does not befit his noble status and it would be insulting even if it was said regarding one of us!
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
Imām Ahmad said, “Four qualities in food will make it perfect: if the name of Allāh is mentioned on it in the beginning, Allāh is praised for it at the end, many hands are eating from it, and it is lawful.”
Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī said,
“Neither from bread nor meat”: This indicates that he (peace be upon him) never ate bread and meat together except with people. The state of fullness referred to here is interpreted to mean that he would eat until two thirds of his stomach were full or that he would not be full from meat and bread together, or from either of them.