How Did the Prophet Muhammad Eat and Drink?
The Prophet's Guidance in Eating
It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to eat whatever food and drink were available to him. He would not refuse what was offered to him and would not seek what he could not find. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that some of the food that the Prophet Muhammad liked, sweets and honey, saying, "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) loved sweets and honey". He (peace be upon him) ate meat cooked or grilled. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was once brought some meat, and he was given the forearm, which he liked, so he bit into it. The Prophet also loved Tharid, which is bread soaked in meat broth, sometimes with meat included. He (peace be upon him) ate Dabaa, which is pumpkin or gourd.
The Prophet would sometimes combine two types of food; he was seen eating fresh dates with cucumbers. It was not reported that he ever criticized food; if he wanted it, he would eat it, and if he did not, he would leave it. Ibn Abbas reported that Khalid bin Walid entered upon his aunt Maymunah and found a lizard that her sister had given her. She presented it to the Prophet to eat, and one of the women said, "Inform the Messenger of Allah that it is a lizard". When he knew, he refrained from eating it. Khalid asked if it was prohibited, and the Prophet replied no, but it was not common in his land, so he did not have an appetite for it. Khalid ate it while the Prophet looked on.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) endured hunger until it affected his voice, and sometimes, he tied a stone to his stomach to silence his hunger. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that sometimes, a month or more would pass without a fire being lit in the Prophet's house for cooking. She said, "We would look at the crescent moon, then the crescent moon, three crescents in two months, and no fire was lit in the houses of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). I asked, 'O aunt, what sustained you?' She replied, 'The two black things: dates and water, except that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had neighbors from the Ansar who had udders, and they would give the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) some of their milk, and he would give us to drink'". The Prophet commanded himself and his companions to eat moderately so that a third of the stomach would be for food, a third for drink, and a third for air.
He (peace be upon him) used his middle finger, thumb, and index finger for eating. Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to eat with three fingers and would not wipe his hand until he licked it". He avoided eating and drinking while reclining on his right or left side, as it was considered arrogant. He did not eat from what was gifted to him until its owners ate from it, as happened with the poisoned sheep gifted to him at Khaybar, which resulted in the death of some of his companions. The Prophet disliked eating hot food and would wait for its steam to dissipate.
The Prophet Muhammad would begin his meal by saying, "Bismillah" (In the name of Allah), and he would instruct those with him to do the same. He would say, "When one of you eats, let him mention the name of Allah Almighty. If he forgets to mention the name of Allah Almighty at the beginning, let him say: Bismillah awwalahu wa akhirahu (In the name of Allah, at the beginning and the end)". After finishing his meal, he would say, "Alhamdulillah hamdan katheeran, tayyiban mubarakan, ghayra makfiyyin, wala mawadda'in, wala mustaghnan 'anhu rabbana" (All praise is due to Allah, much praise, good and blessed, not sufficient, nor abandoned, nor independent of our Lord). If he liked a food, he would praise it, as he praised vinegar, saying, "Ni'ma al-idam al-khall (Vinegar is an excellent condiment)".
He would honor his guest by repeatedly offering food to him. If the Prophet were a guest and were offered food, he would not leave without supplicating for them, saying, "O Allah, bless them in what You have provided for them, forgive them and have mercy on them". He would not eat with his left hand and forbade doing so. When some complained to him that they were not satisfied with their food, he instructed them to gather for their meal, remember Allah over their food, and he (peace be upon him) would ask about what was presented to him and would not eat except what was beneficial for him.
The Prophet's Guidance in Drinking
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) commanded to drink while sitting. Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade a man from drinking while standing. Qatadah said, "We asked about eating," and he said, "That is worse or more detestable". Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) also reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would breathe three times in the vessel, meaning he would drink in three sips, removing his mouth from the vessel and breathing outside it before continuing. He forbade breathing into the vessel, drank with his right hand, and rarely drank while standing, although it is reported that he did so occasionally.
Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I served the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) water from Zamzam, and he drank while standing". If a group of people gathered for a drink, the server would be the last to drink, and serving would begin from the right side, not based on age or other factors. The Prophet (peace be upon him) loved drinking milk and had a specific supplication for it, different from others. He would say, "Whoever is fed food by Allah, let him say: O Allah, bless us in it and feed us better than it. And whoever is given milk to drink by Allah, let him say: O Allah, bless us in it and increase us in it". The beloved chosen one loved fresh, cold water and would seek it for drinking.
The Prophetic Guidance
The life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his biography, and his guidance are the best examples for the nation to follow. His morals, attributes, worship, methods of invitation, and treatment of others are all good and endearing to souls.
It is sufficient that Allah Almighty testified to this in the Holy Quran, saying, "And indeed, you are of a great moral character". The Muslims loved him more than their fathers, their children, and themselves, and they found in his life and guidance a complete way of life.
