Chapter on eating in three ranks — Tuḥfat al-Mulūk

Ruling954

1 note

Obligatory: the measure whereby destruction is averted by it, and with it one can pray standing.

Ruling955

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Permissible: the lowest [degree] of satiety with intention that one gain strength for worship; and one is taken to account for it an easy reckoning if it be from lawful [food].

Ruling956

1 note

Unlawful: what exceeds that, except for fasting on the morrow or to join the guest [in eating].

Ruling957

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Neither does training become lawful by reducing food until one is too weak to perform acts of worship.

Ruling958

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If one continued [fast] forty days and died, he died an offender.

Ruling959

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If he fell ill and forsook treatment relying on Allāh and died, he did not die an offender.

Ruling960

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Indulging in various fruits is permissible; forsaking that is better.

From the editors

Footnotes

As for reducing one’s food intake in a manner that does not incapacitate one from performing acts of worship, it is permissible. It disciplines the soul, and makes food more desirable. Unlike the former case, which leads to self-destruction. Similarly, a young man who fears excessive sexual desire (al-shabaq), there is no harm in abstaining from eating to subdue his desires through hunger, provided it does not prevent him from performing acts of worship, as mentioned in al-Fatāwā al-Hindiyyah 5:336. Ibn Masʿūd narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said: “O young men, whoever among you can afford marriage, let him marry, for it helps lower the gaze and guard chastity. Whoever cannot afford it should fast, for it will be a shield (wijāʾ) for him.” Reported in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2:673.

Ruling961

1 note

Combining types of food is unlawful.

Ruling962

1 note

Likewise placing bread on the table at multiples of what the diners need.

From the editors

Footnotes

This is because cure through medical treatment is uncertain, and cure may occur without treatment; whereas death from not eating is certain, as mentioned in al-Hadiyyah p. 257. Moreover, one might recover without treatment, and sometimes treatment does not benefit. Furthermore, seeking medical treatment is permissible, as stated in al-Minhah 3:304. Usāmah ibn Shurayk narrated, “I came to the Prophet (SAW) while his companions were sitting quietly as if birds were on their heads out of respect. I greeted them and sat down. Then, Bedouins came from here and there and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, should we seek medical treatment?’ He said, ‘Seek treatment, for Allah the Exalted has not created a disease without placing for it a cure, except for one disease—old age.’” Reported in Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2:396, Sunan al-Tirmidhī 4:383 and he authenticated it. Also, Abū Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said, “Allah has not sent down any disease except that He has also sent down its cure.” Found in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5:2151.

Ruling963

1 note

Likewise raising bread onto the low table, and placing it under the bowl so it sits level.

Ruling964

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Likewise wiping fingers and the knife on bread—even if eating them is lawful—or placing the salt cellar on it, and eating its face [crust] in particular.

Ruling965

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Among the sunnas of eating: washing both hands before and after it, naming [Allāh] before it, and giving thanks after it.

From the editors

Footnotes

The Prophet ﷺ said: “The blessing (barakah) of the food is achieved through washing before it and washing after it.” in Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 4:281, al-Mustadrak 3:699, Sunan Abī Dāwūd 3:345, and Musnad Aḥmad 5:441. Meaning, “washing” refers to the linguistic sense of wuḍūʾ, which is washing the hands.

If one forgets to say Bismillah at the beginning, then he should say: Bismillahi awwalahu wa ākhirahu (‘In the name of Allah , at the beginning and the end’). He should raise his voice when saying Bismillah to teach others, but he should not raise his voice in Ḥamd (gratitude) unless everyone has finished eating. Praising Allah may be articulated in any manner, as mentioned in Takmilat Fatḥ al-Mulḥim 4:3.The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Whoever forgets to invoke the name of Allah at the beginning of his meal, let him say when he remembers: Bismillah fi awwalihi wa ākhirihi (In the name of Allah at the beginning and the end), for it renews his meal and prevents the evil one from partaking in it.’ in Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 12:12, al-Mustadrak 4:121, Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 4:288. The Prophet ﷺ also said: ‘When a man enters his house and remembers Allah upon entering and at his meal, the devil says: There is no place to stay and no dinner for us.’ in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 3:1598.

Ruling966

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Whoever is overcome by hunger and is unable to earn his sustenance—feeding him is obligatory on everyone who knows his situation; and if no one knows of him, he must ask and inform [people] of his situation; if he does not until he dies, he is as one who killed himself.

From the editors

Footnotes

This is because he is on the verge of perishing, so it is obligatory for anyone aware of his situation to protect him from death by feeding him personally or directing someone else to do so—just like encountering an abandoned child on the verge of death or a blind person about to fall into a well. It is obligatory to save them from destruction. Once one person feeds him, the obligation is lifted from others because the objective has been achieved. Refer to Sharḥ Ibn Malak, 259/b.

This is because it is obligatory for every believer to prevent harm to themselves in any way possible, even if by asking for help. Some scholars have said that asking is a concession, and if one refrains from it, they are not sinful, because asking causes humiliation, and humiliating oneself is prohibited just like self-destruction. Thus, one is caught between two evils, and they should choose the lesser of the two, which is to ask. Refer to Sharḥ Ibn Malak, 123/b.

Ruling967

1 note

Whoever has his day's sustenance, begging is not lawful for him, but receiving [gifted] is permissible for him.

From the editors

Footnotes

This is because he humiliates himself without necessity which is prohibited, as mentioned in al-Minḥah 3:309. Huzayfah reported that The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘It is not befitting for a believer to humiliate himself.’ They asked, ‘How does he humiliate himself?’ He said, ‘By exposing himself to a trial he cannot bear.’” Sunan al-Tirmidhi 4:522, graded ḥasan, Sunan Ibn Mājah 2:1332, Musnad Aḥmad 5:405.

whoever has enough sustenance for one day, or even for several days, and if another person gives charity to them without them asking, it is permissible for them to take and accept it, as long as they do not possess the amount for niṣāb al-uḍḥiyah (the minimum wealth required for sacrificing an animal during Eid). Refer to al-Hadiyyah, p. 258.

Ruling968

1 note

The beggar in the mosque: it was said, giving him is unlawful; the chosen [view] is that when he does not step over people's necks, pass in front of those praying, nor beseech people importunately—giving him is permitted; if he does one of these three, giving him is unlawful.

Ruling969

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The giver of charity is better than its taker, and his hand is the upper.

Ruling970

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The patient poor is better than the grateful rich; and it was said: no—the opposite; the first is sounder in my view.

Ruling971

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The Companions differed on the permissibility of accepting gifts of oppressive rulers and eating their food; the chosen [view]: if most of his wealth is lawful, accepting his gift and eating his food are lawful; otherwise they are unlawful.

Ruling972

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Meals for birth, the ʿaqīqa, circumcision, arrival of a traveller, and death are not sunna.

From the editors

Footnotes

This means it is permissible to feed people on these occasions, but it is not a sunnah. The `aqīqah is the slaughter of an animal on the seventh day after the birth of a child. It was practiced in the pre-Islamic period and was continued by the early Muslims at the beginning of Islam, but later it was abrogated by the sacrifice (udhiyah) during Eid al-Adha. Therefore, one may choose to perform it or not.As narrated by ʿAlī, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘The sacrifice of udhiyah has abolished all the earlier forms of sacrifice.’ He similarly mentioned fasting in Ramadan, zakah, and ghusl (ritual washing) from janābah in the same manner.” Sunan al-Dāraquṭnī 4:278), graded as ḥasan by al-Tahānuwī in Iʿlā al-Sunan 17:121.It is also narrated from Abu Rāfiʿ, the servant of the Prophet (ﷺ): ‘When al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī was born, his mother Fāṭimah wanted to offer an aqīqah with two sheep, but the Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Do not perform the aqīqah, but rather shave his head and give its weight in silver to charity.’ Later, when al-Ḥusayn was born, the same was done.’ Musnad Aḥmad 6:392, al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr 1:311, 3:30, Sunan al-Bayḥaqi al-Kubrā 9:3041.Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī and Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafiyyah said, ‘The ʿaqīqah was practiced in the pre-Islamic period, but when Islam came, it was rejected.’ See al-Āthār 1:238.ʿAmr ibn Shuʿayb narrated from his father, who narrated from his grandfather, that the Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about the aqīqah. He said: ‘Allah does not love disobedience to parents (which is linguistically linked to the word "aqīqah”). It is as if he disliked the term.’ They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah , we are asking about a newborn.’ He said: ‘Whoever among you wants to offer a sacrifice for his child may do so, for a boy two equivalent sheep, and for a girl one sheep.’ Sunan al-Tirmidhi. This narration indicates that the ʿaqīqah is not a Sunnah because the Prophet (ﷺ) left it to individual choice, which signifies permissibility. See: Badāʾiʿ al-Ṣanāʾiʿ 5:69.

Ruling973

1 note

The wedding meal is sunna.

Ruling974

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Entertaining guests after the third [day] for a death is disliked.

Ruling975

1 note

Clearing away the course [before others finish] is disliked except by the host's leave.

From the editors

Footnotes

If one forgets to say Bismillah at the beginning, then he should say: Bismillahi awwalahu wa ākhirahu (‘In the name of Allah , at the beginning and the end’). He should raise his voice when saying Bismillah to teach others, but he should not raise his voice in Ḥamd (gratitude) unless everyone has finished eating. Praising Allah may be articulated in any manner, as mentioned in Takmilat Fatḥ al-Mulḥim 4:3.The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Whoever forgets to invoke the name of Allah at the beginning of his meal, let him say when he remembers: Bismillah fi awwalihi wa ākhirihi (In the name of Allah at the beginning and the end), for it renews his meal and prevents the evil one from partaking in it.’ in Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 12:12, al-Mustadrak 4:121, Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 4:288. The Prophet ﷺ also said: ‘When a man enters his house and remembers Allah upon entering and at his meal, the devil says: There is no place to stay and no dinner for us.’ in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 3:1598.

Ruling976

1 note

The more sound [view] permits the guest to feed another guest, and to feed the servant standing by the table.

Ruling977

1 note

It is not lawful for him to give to a beggar, or to one who enters [needing something], or a dog, or a cat—for the host; if he fed the dog or the cat burnt bread or table crumbs, that is lawful.

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