SHAMAIL- Ali Yardım, PhD (chapter 7)
THE EATING AND DRINKING STYLES OF THE HOLY PROPHET
“I eat like an ordinary people, and I sit like an ordinary man”
It must be stated that the sources do not mention how the Prophet (pbuh) sat at a table; rather they point out how he did not sit. It has been stated that he would generally sit kneeling. The sources from the first period usually cite a single line that is a hadith:
“As for Me, I never settle in well to eat”
The Prophet, who would ensure that he was in a purified state when eating the food provided by Allah, always thanked Allah for His blessings. The Prophet and the people who followed him were always worried about what their meal would lead to; they were grateful to Allah and requested that He cause their meal to lead to good things.
The Prophet always tried to prevent practices that caused waste and to make use of all of Allah’s blessings, even a single grain of rice.
Bread
According to the available documents Prophet Muhammad always ate bread made from barley flour. He would not eat bread made from refined flour, from which the bran had been removed. At that time in the Hejaz wheat was imported and very expensive. The Prophet would not eat food made from wheat flour which was not affordable for the majority of people. He disapproved of luxury and maintained the status of role model in the matter of food, as with everything else. He preferred barley bread not only because it was economic, but also as it was filling and nutritional.
During meals, the Prophet would sit at a low table made of leather or canvas. He would not use a table or a tray with legs.
He would not bring appetizers like salads, pickles or spices to the table. The Prophet would never overeat.
The texts from the first period speak of the Prophet eating two meals a day. Breakfast was called ghada, and dinner was calledasha. Prophet Muhammad would eat two meals a day at the most. One of these meals always consisted of light foods. These light foods included dates.
The Prophet advised that dinner should be eaten and ordered: “Do not neglect dinner but dine, even with a handful of dates; neglecting dinner ages people and harms the body.”
Prophet Muhammad emphasized the important effect of hunger on humans in the following words: “O Allah! I take shelter in you against hunger; hunger is a very bad condition which weakens people” However, he also underlined the hazards of imbalanced and excessive eating:
“No person can fill a dish that is worse than his stomach. Basically humans need only a few bites to withstand hunger. If they need to eat more, they must fill one third of their stomachs with food, one third with drink and they should leave the remaining part empty for breath!”
Aisha says: “The family members of the Prophet never ate two meals in quick succession and never ate their fill of barley bread”
Ibn Abbas says: “Sometimes the Holy Prophet would go to sleep without having eaten anything for several nights consecutively; he and his family would not be able to find anything to eat for dinner and they would eat barley bread”.
For the Prophet the most important feature of a meal was whether it was halal (permitted), clean and nutritional. Prophet Muhammad did not prefer one food over another and he did not find fault with any food. Abu Hurairah said: “The Holy Prophet would never prefer one food over another. He would eat what was offered if he was hungry, and would not eat if he was not.”
The Prophet did not indulge in any food and he had no craving for any food. “If someone eats whatever they crave, this is wasteful.”
Prophet Muhammad would thank the host in particular for the meals served and he would say that he had been satisfied by the food served to him.
Some examples of the food that the Prophet ate are as follows: leg of mutton, mutton chops, kebab, chicken, bustard, meat soup, zucchini, olive oil, curd cheese, melon, halva, honey, dates, Swiss chard and fish. This list, to which other foods can be added, also gives us an idea about the cuisine of the Age of Happiness. Simplicity dominated the food, and simplicity is an indication of maturity.
Washing Hands before the Meal
The Prophet wanted people not to be content with ordinary cleanliness, but to demonstrate their cleanliness in every field. He also wanted people to be as clean as possible for meals. In the same way that a Muslim takes ablution before prayer, they should wash their hands before eating. The practice of washing one’s hands before the meal was not performed in other religions at the time; it was first introduced by Prophet Muhammad.
“If something happens to one who has gone to bed without washing their hands after dinner, may he seek fault in himself, not in someone else!.”
Salman-i Farisi said that Prophet Muhammad ordered: “The blessings of food lie in washing hands before and after eating.”
Prayers said by Prophet Muhammad before and after Meals
The Prophet would always utter a basmala (blessing) before performing every action, including eating. If the basmala is forgotten at the beginning, it is uttered as soon as one remembers.
Prophet Muhammad would always pray after the meals. His shortest prayer was the one that consisted of the phrase Alhamdulillah(Thanks be to Allah). He stated that the most virtuous form of worship was to utter La ilaha illallah (There is no God but Allah) and that the finest prayer was Alhamdulillah. There is no one single method for such prayers. Everybody can say prayers from their hearts, using long or short phrases.
In the period of Prophet Muhammad meals were eaten on a low table and out of a large common plate. For this reason the Prophet desired that everybody should eat from in front of them. Eating together and getting up from the table together are manners that he advises. Prophet Muhammad said: “After the table has been set, may no one leave the table before it is cleared. Even if they are full, so as not to embarrass the people around the table, may no one take their hands off the table. May they not exhibit an attitude indicating that they are full. When a person leaves the table early, he embarrasses his friend; this also leads his friend to take his hands off the table. He might not yet be full!”
In accordance with this, a person who is invited to the table and offered food should not refuse the offer if they are hungry and should not use unbelievable phrases such as, “I am full…I have just eaten”. The Prophet stated that: “Food that is enough for one person is sufficient for two. Food that is enough for two people is sufficient for four people and the food for four people is sufficient to feed eight people.” Thus, we can understand the importance of sharing what we have, whether it is a little or a lot, with other people.
Umar bin Abi Salama gives the following account: “I went to the house of the Holy Prophet. He was sitting at the table. When he saw me, He said: “My child, come to the table, utter basmala, start eating with your right hand and take the food from in front of you”.
Abu Said al-Hudri tells us: “When the Holy Prophet would finish his meal and get ready to leave the table he would utter the following prayer: “al-Hamdu lillalillazi at’amena va sakana va ja’alana min’al-müslimin” which means “May Allah, Who feeds us and makes us a society of Muslims, be praised.”
Abu Umama tells us: “When the table was about to be cleared, Prophet Muhammad would say the following prayer: “al-Hamdu lillahi hamdan kasiran tayyeban mubarakan fihi khayra muvadda’in vala mustaghnan ‘anhu Rabbana” which means “Allah, I Praise You with eternal gratitude, ceaseless and void of pretense; not with the kind turned down by You.”
Fruit Eaten by the Prophet
We learn that Prophet Muhammad loved eating melon, watermelon and cucumbers. Grapes, quince, and the kabas fruit of themiswak tree were among the other fruit preferred by the Prophet.
The Prophet showed great care in selecting food that would not have a negative effect on his health. He ate fruit during and after the meals, not merely as a fruit, rather but to stabilize the temperature of his body.
Abu Hurairah tells us: “When the companions of the Holy Prophet obtained the first fruit, they would immediately bring it to the Holy Prophet. He would take that first fruit into his sacred hands and say the following prayer: “O Allah! Grant fertility to our fruit, our city and our measures called sa and mudd. O Allah! Holy Abraham is your worshipper, friend and prophet. I too am your worshipper and prophet. He prayed to you for Mecca. I pray to You to the extent of His prayer, and even twice the measure of that prayer for Medina!” He would then call the youngest child and give them that first fruit.
The Prophet’s Drinks
The drinks that were enjoyed in the Age of Happiness were things like honey sherbet (‘asal), date or grape juice and milk. During wedding feasts, guests would be treated to date sherbet. Milk had a special place among the drinks of Prophet Muhammad. He would sometimes add cold water to the milk before drinking it. Particularly in hot weather, the Prophet would cool off the milk when it was available by adding some cold water. Aisha reported; “Fresh water would be brought from the spring Buyut al-Suqya, which was at a distance of two days.”
The Prophet would also show great care that his drinking water was fresh, and that it had “rested and been kept for a night”. In related sources, there are accounts about “water which has rested in a jug”.
The Prophet would drink water slowly, resting between sips. He would take a breath twice three breaths. He said that “Drinking water in stages eases digestion, quenches the thirst and is healthier.” stressing the importance of drinking in this manner for our health.
Ibn Abbas states the following: “Our Holy Prophet banned us from putting the ends of the water skins or jugs to our mouth and finishing them in one gulp. After the warning of our Prophet, a man drank from the jug in one gulp and what should emerge from the jug but a snake!”
The Sacred Cup
There were about eleven people who volunteered to serve the Prophet. The most prominent of these were the companions Anas bin Malik and Abdullah bin Mas’ud. Abdullah bin Mas’ud would carry the Prophet’s shoes, miswaks and cushions and keep them ready for use. When the Prophet stood, Abdullah bin Mas’ud would bring the Prophet’s shoes and put them on his feet. When the Prophet sat, he would take off his shoes and hold them in his hands.
Anas bin Malik was the water-bearer for the Prophet. He would carry the Prophet’s water cup carefully, clean it and prepare the Prophet’s drinks.
Prophet Muhammad would use one cup for all drinks, including water. This cup was made of a wood called nudar. This cup once cracked along the side and was mended with a silver ring, and was used again. The width of this cup was greater than its height. It had an iron ring by which it could be hung on the wall. Once Anas tried to replace this iron ring with a silver or golden ring, but his step-father Abu Talha (34/654) said: “Don’t ever do that! Don’t change anything that was made by the Holy Prophet!” After that, Anas did not replace this part and preserved the cup as it was.
Some of the personal belongings of the Prophet were preserved by his Companions and passed on from one generation to the next.
The Companions of Prophet Muhammad had profound respect for the objects that the Prophet used, and the places where he slept, prayed and rested. The objects were preserved by them out of respect, affection, homage and for blessings. Monuments were built in the places where the Prophet had slept, prayed or rested.
