Part 31

2) The Prohibition Of Eating In A Reclining Position Or When Lying Prone On One's Stomach

Abu Juhaifah # said, “I was with the Messenger of Allah when he said to a man that was with him, ‘I do not eat while I am reclining (or leaning).’” Ibn Hajr pointed out that scholars disagree about what is meant by reclining or leaning. Some say it means to sit down in a comfortable position; others say it means to lean on one’s right or left side; and yet others say it means to rest one’s weight on one’s left hand, which is fixed firmly on the ground. This last opinion is perhaps based on a narration that has a weak chain and is related by Ibn ‘Adee. In it, the Prophet explained that a man should not lean on his left hand while he is eating. Maalik said about resting one’s weight on one’s left hand, “Tt is a form of leaning.” And commenting on this saying of Maalik, Ibn Hajr said, “This shows that Maalik disliked for one to eat in any position that might be construed as leaning or reclining, meaning that, in his view, there isn’t a specific form of leaning that is disliked (but that rather all forms of leaning are disliked).””

Perhaps the reason why it is disliked to eat while one is in a reclining position is that tyrants and kings from foreign lands

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would eat in that position; furthermore, it is the position of one who is saying, in his posture and not with his words, that he wants to eat a lot of food. Ibn Hajr said, ‘If it is established that it is disliked or contrary to what is better to eat in a reclining position, it is recommended that one who is eating sit on his knees, with his feet facing up, or with his right leg up (with his right knee pointing upwards) while he is sitting on his left leg.”

The second prohibited posture during eating is for one to lie prone on one’s stomach. Ibn ‘Umar & said, “The Messenger of Allah 2% forbade two [practices related to] eating: [he forbade] sitting at a table on which alcohol is imbibed, and [he forbade] eating while one is lying prone on his stomach.)

Related Issue: How did the Prophet # sit down during a meal? When the Prophet # would eat, he would sit in the Maq’ee position (to sit on one’s buttocks, with one’s feet erect underneath). It is also related that he would sit down during a meal on his knees, and the bottom of his left foot would be resting against the top of his right foot, a Position that showed his humility and submission to his Lord 3¢./7!

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' Related by Abu Daawood (3774), and Al-Albaanee ruled that Abu Daawood’s narration of the hadith is authentic. Ibn Maajah related it as

"I Ton Al-Qayyim related this in Za’ad Al-Ma’aad (4/221)

“Verily, Allah 8 has made me a noble (and good-natured) slave, and He 8 did not make me an obstinate tyrant")

3) When It Is Time For prayer And When Food Is Being Served, Eat First And Then Pray

Anas #4 reported that the Prophet # said, Glbdy L220 lsc

“When dinner is laid down and the prayer Ugeemat (i.e., the Igaamah is made and the prayer begins), then begin with dinner.’

Ibn ‘Umar & reported that the Messenger of Allah #& said,

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“When the dinner of one of you is laid down and the prayer Ugeemat (i.e., the Igaamah is made and the prayer begins), then he should begin with dinner. And let him not rush, [but instead wait] until he finishes it (his dinner),

Whenever dinner would be served to him at the time of prayer, Ibn ‘Umar would not leave to Pray until he finished his meal. Naafai’ related that Ibn ‘Umar % would send him [to bring food] when he was fasting; food would be served to him while the call was being made for the Maghrib prayer. Then the prayer would commence. Ibn ‘Umar 4 would hear that it had commenced, but he would not leave his dinner, nor would he rush; instead, he would wait to finish his dinner. Then he would go out and pray.

"1 Tbn Maajah related it (3263), and the wording mentioned above is from his narration of the hadith; Ibn Hajr gave a Hasan grade to its chain, and about the narration, Al-Albaanee said, ““sahih.” (2658). Except for a small portion, Abu Daawood related it as well (3773).

"1 Related by Bukhaaree (674), Muslim (559), Ahmad (5772), At-Tirmidhee (354), Abu Daawood (3757), Ibn Maajah (934), and Ad-Daarimee (1281).

'8] Related by Bukhaaree (674), Muslim (559), Ahmad (5772), At-Tirmidhee (354), Abu Daawood (3757), Ibn Maajah (934), and Ad-Daarimee (1281).

Chapter - 9 The Manners Of Eating And Drinking 197

Naafai’ then related that Ibn ‘Umar would say, “The Prophet of Allah #¢ said,

“Do not rush from your dinner when it is served to you.”

You should eat first, so that, during prayer, your mind will not be preoccupied with food, and so that you can concentrate on your prayer.

Once, when Abu Hurairah # and Ibn ‘Abbaas were eating and there was roasted meat in the oven, the Muaddhin (Caller to prayer) wanted to make Iqaamah (to commence the prayer). Ibn ‘Abbaas & said to him, “Do not rush, so that we do not stand with something in ourselves [being preoccupied about the meal].”/2] The ruling in this issue is not limited to dinner alone, but rather applies to any meal that a person looks forward to having. Another prohibition supports this ruling: the Prophet # forbade a person to pray when food is served and when one is fighting the urge to relieve himself (to defecate or urinate). ‘Aaisha said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah #% say,

‘There is no prayer when food arrives, nor when one is pushing back Al-Akhbathaan (urine and stool).’")

Related Issue: Some scholars have said, “If food is being served when the [congregational] prayer commences, then one should eat a few morsels to cut off the intensity of his hunger [, and then he should immediately go and pray].” An-Nawawee refuted this view, saying, “And the Prophet's saying,

“And let him not rush, but instead [wait] until he finishes it

" Related by Ahmad (6323).

"I Tbn Hajr related this in Fathul-Baaree (2/189). He said that Sa’eed Ibn Mansoor and Ibn Abee Shaibah related it with a Hasan chain.

1 Related by Muslim (560), Ahmad (23646), and Abu Daawood (89).

proves that one should continue to eat until he completely satisfies his appetite. This is the correct view, and as for what some of our companions have interpreted - that one should eat only a few morsels to break the intensity of hunger - then that is not correct. In fact, the above-mentioned hadith clearly disproves that view.”

Question: When food is served and the [congregational] prayer commences, is it compulsory for one to eat, based on the apparent wording of the hadith? Or does the hadith convey a meaning of ‘recommended’?

Answer: The action of Ibn ‘Umar , as related by Ahmad and others, proves that precedence should always be given to one’s meal over prayer; some scholars, however, have said that the ruling depends on the individual - how intense his desire is to eat. So if a person strongly desires to eat, then it is better in his case to eat and then pray, so that he goes to prayer with a heart that is free to concentrate on worship. A saying of Abu AdDardaa # expresses that meaning: “It is from the [sound religious] understanding of a person to do what he needs to do [first], so that he goes to prayer with a heart that is unoccupied.” I feel that the strongest opinion in this issue is the one expressed by Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr, who said that various narrations point to the intensity of one’s desire to eat as being the reason why one should eat first and then pray. So the ruling in this issue revolves on the reason why it was legislated: if the reason is applicable to a person, the ruling applies; otherwise, it doesn’t. Or in other words, if one wants to eat and fears that he will be thinking about food during prayer, he should eat first; but if he isn’t all that hungry and knows that he will not be thinking about food during prayer, he does not have to eat first.

"] Bukhaaree related it Ta’leeqan in “The Book Of Aadhaan.””

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can provide solid grounds for the legislation of washing one’s hands before one eats. Al-Baihagee said, “The hadith about washing one’s hands after eating is Hasan (acceptable), but no hadith is established about washing one’s hands before eating.”

Nonetheless, it is recommended to wash your hands before eating in order to remove any filth or impurities that might do harm to your health. And about the ruling for washing hands before a meal, there are two conflicting opinions related from Imam Ahmad - Karaaha (that it is disliked to do so) and Istihbaab (that it is recommended to do so). Imam Maalik elaborated, saying that the legislation of washing one’s hands before eating is limited to when there is any filth or impurity on one’s hands. In his Aadaab, Ibn Muflih took the stance that it is recommended to wash one’s hands before eating, and his view is shared by a group of scholars. Nonetheless, there is latitude in this issue, and all praise is to Allah, Lord of all that exists.

There are, on the other hand, authentic narrations related about washing one’s hands after eating. For example, Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah #% said,