The Prophet's Guidance in Eating, Drinking, and Sleeping

Ibn al-Qayyim examines in this chapter the Prophet's ﷺ detailed guidance regarding three of the most fundamental human activities: eating, drinking, and sleeping. These are not merely physical necessities in the Prophetic framework — each is an act of worship when performed according to the Sunnah, and each carries etiquettes that reflect the believer's consciousness of Allah in every moment of life.

Regarding eating, the Prophet's ﷺ guidance begins before the food is taken: begin with Bismillah, use the right hand, and eat from what is nearest to you on the communal platter — do not reach across to take from others' portions. He said: 'The food of two is enough for three, and the food of three is enough for four.' He ate with three fingers and licked them after eating, saying: 'You do not know in which part the blessing is.' He prohibited blowing into food or drink and commanded waiting for hot food to cool before consuming it.

The Prophet ﷺ ate whatever was available and never complained about food. Aisha ﷺ reported that the family of Muhammad never ate wheat bread to satisfaction three days in a row until his death. He most commonly ate dates, barley bread, olive oil, vinegar, and occasional meat. He loved certain foods: honey, cucumbers with dates, tharid (a bread-based meat stew), and shoulder of lamb. He never ate reclining, as it promoted excessive consumption and was a posture of arrogance.

For drinking, the fundamental rule established by the Prophet ﷺ is to drink in three sips without gulping, sitting down, and saying Bismillah before and Alhamdulillah after. He prohibited drinking standing up, though he permitted it for necessity. He said: 'Do not drink in one gulp like the camel; drink in two or three sips. Say Bismillah when you drink and Alhamdulillah when you finish.' He drank zamzam water standing, which some scholars take as a specific exception for zamzam and sacred well water.

He prohibited breathing into vessels, drinkng directly from the mouth of a waterskin, and drinking from a cracked vessel (due to insects and contamination risks). He commanded covering vessels and food at night, even with a stick placed across a container if nothing else was available, to protect from the creatures active at night.

Regarding sleep, the Prophet's ﷺ practice was to sleep on his right side facing the qiblah. He would recite certain verses and supplications before sleeping: the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah, Ayat al-Kursi, the Mu'awwidhatain, and specific night supplications. He would recite Surah al-Sajdah and Surah al-Mulk nightly. He would say: 'In Your name, O Allah, I live and die.'

He woke for Tahajjud (night prayer) regularly — it was obligatory for him and recommended for his community — and he would wake his family members to pray it. He would then perform wudu and pray voluntarily before the Fajr Sunnah. He is reported to have said that the best prayer after the obligatory is the night prayer. Ibn al-Qayyim reflects that this nighttime routine — retiring early, sleeping on the right side, waking for Tahajjud — is both spiritually optimal and physically healthy, aligning with what modern chronobiology calls the natural circadian rhythm.