Basic HTML Version
Chapter 109
ﻊﺑﺎﺻأ ثﻼﺜﺑ ﻞآﻷا بﺎﺒﺤﺘﺳا بﺎﺑ
Excellence of Eating with three Fingers and Licking them
748
لﺎﻗ ﺎﻤﻬﻨﻋ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا ﻲﺿر ٍسﺎﺒﻋ ِﻦﺑا ﻦﻋ
:
ﻢﱠﻠَﺳو ِﻪْﻴَﻠَﻋ ُﷲا ﻰّﻠَﺻ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا ُلﻮﺳر لﺎﻗ
:
»
،ًﺎﻣﺎَﻌَﻃ ْﻢُآُﺪﺣَأ َﻞآَأ اذِإ
ُﻳ وَأ ﺎَﻬَﻘَﻌﻠﻳ ﻰﺘﺣ ُﻪَﻌِﺑﺎﺻَأ ْﺢﺴﻤَﻳ ﻼَﻓ
ﺎﻬَﻘِﻌْﻠ
«
ﻪﻴﻠﻋ ٌﻖﻔﺘﻣ
.
748.
Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,
"When one of you
finishes eating, he should not wipe his fingers until he has licked them himself or has given them to someone else to
lick for him.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
Messenger of Allah (PBUH) instructed his followers that after taking meal they should lick up their
fingers before they wash or wipe them with a towel. Or they may get them licked by somebody - wife, son or
disciple - provided he or she feels no aversion to doing so. Since Messenger of Allah (PBUH) approved of this act, it
is commendable. As to its rationale, the subsequent Ahadith will offer exposition.
749
لﺎﻗ ﻪﻨﻋ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا َﻲﺿر ﻚﻟﺎﻣ ِﻦﺑ ِﺐْﻌآ ﻦﻋو
:
اذِﺈَﻓ َﻊِﺑﺎﺻَأ ِثﻼﺜِﺑ ُﻞُآْﺄَﻳ ﻢﱠﻠَﺳو ِﻪْﻴَﻠَﻋ ُﷲا ﻰّﻠَﺻ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا َلﻮﺳر ُﺖْﻳَأَر
ﺎﻬَﻘِﻌَﻟ َغﺮَﻓ
.
ﻢﻠﺴﻣ ﻩاور
.
749.
Ka`b bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
I saw Messenger of Allah (PBUH) eating with three
fingers (i.e., the thumb, the index finger and the middle finger) and licking them after having finished the food.
[Muslim].
Commentary:
To use less than three fingers for eating speaks of the manner of the arrogant, whereas to use both
hands to this end is indicative of an overpowering greed. So, the best way of eating is that shown by Messenger of
Allah (PBUH). Here, too, is the affirmation of licking the fingers after taking meal, and not during it.
750
لﺎﻗو ِﺔَﻔْﺤﱠﺼﻟاو ِﻊِﺑﺎَﺻَﻷا ِﻖْﻌَﻠِﺑ ﺮﻣأ ﻢﱠﻠَﺳو ِﻪْﻴَﻠَﻋ ُﷲا ﻰّﻠَﺻ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا َلﻮﺳر ﱠنَأ ﻪﻨﻋ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا ﻲﺿر ٍﺮﺑﺎﺟ ﻦﻋو
:
»
ُﺔآﺮَﺒﻟا ﻢﻜِﻣﺎَﻌﻃ ﱢيَأ ﻲﻓ َنوُرﺪَﺗ ﻻ ْﻢُﻜﱠﻧِإ
«
ﻢﻠﺴﻣ ﻩاور
.
750.
Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) commanded the licking of fingers
and the gleaning of the dish, saying,
"You do not know in which portion the blessing lies.''
[Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith underlines the wisdom behind licking the fingers and the vessel. The eater never knows
whether a blessing underlies what has been eaten by him, or the particles sticking to his fingers and vessels contain
it. Those particles, therefore, should not be wasted; they should be made part of food by being licked. They may be
invested with a blessing and proved more useful for the eater's health and strength. Moreover, by this way he
escapes disregarding the Bounty of Allah.
751
لﺎﻗ ﻢﱠﻠَﺳو ِﻪْﻴَﻠَﻋ ُﷲا ﻰّﻠَﺻ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا لﻮﺳر نأ ﻪﻨﻋو
:
»
ﺎﻬﺑ نﺎآ ﺎﻣ ْﻂِﻤُﻴْﻠَﻓ ﺎَهْﺬُﺧْﺄَﻴﻠَﻓ ،ْﻢُآِﺪﺣَأ ُﺔَﻤﻘُﻟ ﺖﻌﻗو اذِإ
ﻦﻣ
ﱢيَأ ﻲﻓ يِرﺪَﻳ ﻻ ﻪﻧِﺈﻓ ،ُﻪَﻌِﺑﺎَﺻَأ َﻖﻌﻠَﻳ ﻰﱠﺘﺣ ِﻞﻳِﺪْﻨِﻤﻟﺎِﺑ ُﻩﺪَﻳ ْﺢَﺴﻤﻳ ﻻو ،ِنﺎَﻄﻴﱠﺸﻠﻟ ﺎﻬْﻋَﺪﻳ ﻻو ،ﺎَﻬْﻠُآْﺄَﻴﻟو ىًذأ
ِﻪِﻣﺎﻌﻃ
ُﺔآﺮﺒﻟا
«
ﻢﻠﺴﻣ ﻩاور
.
751.
Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,
"When a morsel of any of
you falls, he should pick it up and remove any of the dirt on it and then eat it, and should not leave it for Satan nor
should wipe his hand with towel until he has licked his fingers, for he does not know in what portion of the food the
blessing lies.''
[Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith tells us to pick up a fallen morsel and eat it after cleaning the dirt that may have stuck on
it. This marks the expression of humility overcoming Satan as well as getting the blessing. Present-day Muslims
hardly care for this directive of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) because they think that this act will bring disgrace and
dishonour upon them. To make matters worse, they throw away a large quantity of unconsumed food in street
dumps and dunghills and drains. They even deem it necessary to leave over some food in plates and dishes, still less
336
www.islamicbulletin.com