Al-Bajūrī said,
This chapter includes all that which the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) used to say before and after eating and drinking.
188. Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārī narrated: “We were once sitting with the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him). Food was presented to him and I have never seen any food that had such a large amount of blessings at the beginning and less blessings left in the food at the end. We therefore asked, ‘O Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him)! How did this happen?’ He replied, ‘In the beginning we all mentioned the name of Allāh before we began eating. Then someone in the end joined us, and did not recite ‘Bismillah’ and so Satan ate with him.’” [219]
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
The statement of Abū Ayyūb at the beginning demonstrates the perfect manners of the companions when talking about the Prophet (peace be upon him) as they used statements that indicated that they were his followers.
Al-Bajūrī said,
The answer of the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) proves that saying ‘Bismillah’ is enough to fulfil the Sunnah of mentioning the name of Allāh before eating, which is the reason why the food had so much blessing in it. However, al-Ghazalī and al-Nawawī said that adding ‘al-Rahman al-Rahīm’ to ‘Bismillah’ is better and closer to perfection. This is recommended to say even if the woman is menstruating or in postpartum, or when the person is in a state of major impurity due to intercourse. However, it is stipulated that they (those in a state of major impurity) do not intend to say this with the intention to recite from the Qur’ān.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī said,
It is recommended to say ‘Bismillah’ before commencing anything that is important and virtuous except in the case of remembrance of Allāh and supplications (i.e. it is not prescribed for us to say Bismillah before we invoke Allah or before reciting any dhikr).
189. Aisha narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘When a person eats and has forgotten to recite ‘Bismillah’ [before starting to eat], then one should recite, ‘Bismillahi awwalahu wa aa-khirahu’’ (‘Bismillah at the beginning and at the end’).” [220]
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
This is a direction to those who may forget to mention the name of Allāh before eating and then remember it before they finish eating. In such a case, the person should say, “Bismillahi awwalahu wa aa-khirahu” in order to attain the blessings of the food, by the will of Allāh.
Al-Bajūrī said,
The statement “Bismillah at the beginning and at the end” includes all that comes in the middle and it is possible that it refers to the first half and second half of the time spent eating. In other words, it means “Bismillah throughout the time spent eating.”
190. Umar ibn Abī Salamah narrated: “I entered upon the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) whilst some food had been served to him. He (peace be upon him) said, ‘O my son! Come near, say Bismillah, and eat with your right hand from that which is in front of you.’” [221]
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
This hadīth teaches us that it is allowed to call those other than one’s own children “son” and it includes three etiquettes pertaining to food:
1. To say Bismillah before eating.
2. To eat with the right hand.
3. To eat from the portion in front of you.
Al-Bajūrī said,
The ruling on eating with the right hand is that it is recommended but other scholars stated that it is obligatory due to the existence of the hadīth wherein the Prophet (peace be upon him) admonished the person who ate with his left hand.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī said,
This hadīth teaches us the following:
· It is recommended for the elders to be kind with the youth, especially when food is served so as to break the ice since there can be elements of shyness on such occasions.
· It is recommended to say Bismillah audibly so others can hear it.
· It is obligatory on the person to eat from the portion in front of themselves except in the case of fruits.
· It is recommended for a person to teach others who eat about any of the etiquettes of food if a person does not act upon them.
191. Abū Sa’īd al-Khudarī narrated: “After the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) finished eating he recited, ‘All praise is due only to Allāh, who has fed us, granted us something to drink and has made us Muslims.’” [222]
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
There are different statements that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say to praise Allāh and it is prescribed for a person to recite these various phrases of praise at different times so that on a certain occasion one is said and at another time something else and so forth. The minimum one can say is “Alhamdulillah” but it is better to say that which is reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Al-Bajūrī said,
Praising Allāh for the food after finishing the meal is to show gratefulness and appreciation to Allāh who has blessed us with that. The reason why he mentioned food before the drink is because drinks complement the food, not the other way around. The reason behind praising Allāh for making us Muslims is to combine praising Him for that which we receive in this world and that which we will receive in the Hereafter. It also indicates that one who praises Allāh for a worldly matter should praise Him for the blessings of Islām because through Islām we learnt to praise Him.
192. Abū Umāmah narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) used to say after the food was removed, ‘All praise is due to Allāh alone; praise which is abundant, good and blessed that is neither insufficient, nor abandoned, nor ignored from our Lord.’” [223]
Alī al-Qārī said,
The Sunnah is not to say “Alhamdulillah” after finishing the meal whist other people are still eating as that may make them stop eating.
The meaning of “praise which is abundant, good and blessed” is a praise that is endless just like how His blessings and favours upon us are endless, with sincerity and no element of showing off, and a praise that is ceaseless and blessed.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to supplicate for the person at whose house he ate before leaving. The Sunnah is not to leave the food even if one is full until the other people in the group finish too. This is so that they do not feel embarrassed and leave the food whilst they still wish to eat.
193. Aisha related: “While six of the companions were eating with the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him), a nomad came and ate all the food in two bites. The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘If he had said ‘Bismillah’ it would have been sufficient for all of you.’” [224]
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
This shows that leaving the Bismillah removes the blessings of the food.
194. Anas ibn Mālik related: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘Allāh is pleased with His slave who praises Him after eating a morsel of food or taking a sip of a beverage.’” [225]
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
The author kept this hadīth until the end of the chapter because it includes the reward of praising Allāh for one’s food and drink – that is winning the pleasure of Allāh.