As you sit down to enjoy your meal, have you ever stopped to think about the power of reciting dua before eating?
The act of making dua, or prayer, before eating may seem small, but it holds immense significance in Islam. But what is the true purpose behind this practice and how does it relate to your ibadah?
Keep reading to find out, this may just increase your appreciation for the dua more ~
Allah (swt) has provided us with so many forms of food that we may indulge in that is halal and good (حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا)
Does this not evoke a sense of shukur (gratitude) in you for all the favours Allah has bestowed upon you?
5:88
وَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَـٰلًۭا طَيِّبًۭا ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنتُم بِهِۦ مُؤْمِنُونَ ٨٨“Eat of the good, lawful things provided to you by Allah. And be mindful of Allah in Whom you believe.” Surah Al-Maidah (88)
Dua Before Eating
The prophet peace be upon him said, we should mention Allah’s name before eating :
بِسْمِ اللهِ
bismillah
(In the name of Allah)
Just take a look at the following hadith below recorded in Bukhari and Muslim:
عن عمر بن أبى سلمة رضى الله عنهما قال: قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “سم الله وكل بيمينك، وكل مما يليك”.
((متفق عليه))
‘Umar bin Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), said to me, “Mention Allah’s Name (i.e., say Bismillah before starting eating), eat with your right hand, and eat from what is near you.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
–you can continue more readings on the Etiquette of Eating here
From the hadith above there are –
3 important Eating Etiquettes in Islam that you should observe:
- Say “bismillah” (in the name of Allah) before you eat
- Use your right hand to eat
- Only take food that is near to you
Now, you may ask —–
*what if I wanted the cheese sauce that is an arm’s reach away from me ?*
🙂
As simple as it sound, all you have to do is just ask ! Ask the person nearest to the cheese sauce and have them pass it to you~
refrain from stretching your arm to reach for the food that you fancy as it is not the adaab of eating that is taught by our beloved prophet ﷺ
observe the 3 simple etiquette and may the food that you consume be a source of barakah for you and your health!
*fun fact did you know that the prophet ﷺ used to say bismillah before everything that he does?
Before eating, drinking, riding the horse, cleaning– he will always mention Allah’s name before starting everything!
Let’s strive to follow his ﷺ footsteps shall we? ♥
Dua Before Eating: A longer version
Another version that some of you may be familiar and have been practicing is recorded in the book of Muwatta’ by imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that highlights a behaviour of the prophet that He ﷺ would not eat or drink or consume medication,
except that he make a dua that first praises Allah (swt) for all the blessings bestowed upon him:
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيمَا رَزَقْتَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Allahumma Baariklanaa fiimaa razaqtanaa wa qinaa azdaban naar
Bless us in what You have provided us with and protect us from the punishment of the Fire!”
Dua When You Forget To Recite Dua Before Eating
Be honest- how many times have you eaten something out of hunger only to realise mid-way that you forgot to even say- “bismillah”?
If you have – I am here to assure you that there is a dua for that!
amazing, isn’t it?
Subhanallah- even the prophet ﷺ had detailed that in the following hadith:
وعن عائشة رضى الله عنها قالت : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “إذا أكل أحدكم فليذكر اسم الله تعالى، فإذا نسى أن يذكر اسم الله تعالى في أوله، فليقل، بسم الله أوله وآخره”. ((رواه أبو داود والترمذي))
‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “When any of you wants to eat, he should mention the Name of Allah in the begining, (i.e., say Bismillah). If he forgets to do it in the beginning, he should say Bismillah awwalahu wa akhirahu (I begin with the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end).”
[At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud].
so- what’s the dua to recite the second you realised you’ve forgotten to say bismillah before enjoying your meal?
بِسمِ اللهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ
bismillahi awwalahu wa Aa-khirahu
In the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end
Now- that you’ve know 3 different dua before eating, take a moment to reflect on the significance of saying dua before eating,
I shall leave you to do the ground work of practicing this in your daily life and see how pausing for a second to mention Allah(swt) and make dua before you eat wrapping up your meal with the dua after eating will significantly help you to be mindful with what you do.
I ask Allah that with every actions that we make mentioning HIS name that HE made us closer to HIM. Aa-miin.
Check out related FAQs on the topics below:
