Sunnah Foods
Allah (Subhanahu wa ta ala)’s dearest Prophet Muhammad (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) always ate very less food. He (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) gave away most of his wealth in charity and therefore had little left for himself. Therefore, he (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) often had no food to eat due to his generosity. But on different occasion of his life, the like the following sunnah foods .
Abu Musa Radiallahu Anhu reports that Rasulullah
said:”The merit
of Aayesha over all women is like the merit of Thariid over all other foods .[Sahih Bukhari]
Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) reports that Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) said: “There is barakah in Sehri, in Thariid and barakah in jama’ah (any task done collectively].” [Majma, Vol. 5, Page 6]
Thariid is a dish of meat and gravy with pieces of pita-bread left to soak in it.
Milk
Companion Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) narrated that Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) most preferred drink was milk. [Mantaha as-Sul, Volume 2, Page 116].
Sayyidah Aayesha (رضي الله عنها) narrates that when milk was offered to Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) he (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) would say: ‘Barakah, Barakah’ or he (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) would say: ‘Milk is two blessings combined in one. [Sunan Ibn Majah]
Note: Rasulullah was extremely fond of milk. He would receive milk with delight and ‘barakah, barakah’ thereby expressing its nutritional value. He would also say that it comprises of two barakahs as it quenches and satiates, i.e. despite it being a liquid it suffices for solids too.
Goat’s milk
The author of Kashf al-Astar has written a chapter on this topic and he records a Hadith narrated by Muhammad Ibn al- Hanafiyyah which says that Rasulullah said that the home which has goat’s milk has obtained two blessings for that day. [Kashf al-Astar, Vol. 3. Page 338]
More to come in sha Allah….under construction. Please check “sunnah of eating“.
Bread
Barley-flour
Companion Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) narrated that Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) mostly ate barley bread. [Shama’il Tirimdhi]
Companion Sahl (رضي الله عنه) was once asked how bread was made from barley- flour (as it used to contain a lot of husk]. He replied that the bread was sifted by blowing into it and this would cause the light particles of husk to fly away. [Sahih Bukhari]
Bread with wheat flour
Sayyidah Aayesha (رضي الله سبحانه و تعالي عنها) reports that Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم)’s family never ate bread made with wheat-flour consecutively for three nights from the time of his migration to Madinah till the end of his life. [Sahih Bukhari]
More to come in sha Allah….under construction. Please check “sunnah of eating“.
Dates
Dates and water for months
Sayyidah Aayesha (رضي الله سبحانه و تعالي عنها) relates that an entire month would pass without a fire being lit in Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم)’s homes [as there was nothing to cook]. She says: ‘We survived on dates and water. [Sahih Bukhari].
Dates of Madhinah
Prophet Ibrahim (عليه السلام) supplicated for barakah for Makkah Mukarramah and Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) supplicated for barakah for the produce of Madinah Munawwarah. Therefore, the dates of Madinah Munawwarah will always be blessed. [Umdat al-Qari, Vol. 21, Page 67]
The Ajwah date
Sayyidah Aayesha Radiallahu Anha relates that Rasulullah loved the ‘Ajwah date most. –Sahih Ibn Hibban
Meat
Superior food is meat
Companion Abu Darda (رضي الله عنه) rarates that Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم)
said: “Meat is the most superior dish in this world and in the hereafter.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]
Excessive meat is not desirable
Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim says that meat should not be consumed on a daily basis as this leads to blood-related illnesses. Eating meat consecutively for forty days hardens the heart. Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) did not eat meat continuously. [Mawahib]
Foreleg [shin] meat of goat or sheep
Companion AIbn Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه) narrates that Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) was fond of the foreleg. [The foreleg of a goat or sheep is implied]. [Shama’il Tirimzi].
Miracle related to foreleg
Companion Abu Ubayd (رضي الله عنه) narrarates that he once cooked meat for Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) and presented the foreleg to him. A while later, Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) called for the second foreleg and he presented it. Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) called for a foreleg for the third time whereupon the companion said that an animal has two forelegs only. Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) informed him that had he complied and looked for another foreleg he would have carried on taking out forelegs for as long as Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) wished. [Shama’il-Tirimzi Page 11]
Note: Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) always ate less but at this moment , it is quite possible that Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) wanted to theshow a lesson to us about the power of the blessings of Allah (Subhanhu wa ta ala)
Poisoned foreleg
Companion Abdullah bin Masud (رضي الله عنه) narrates that Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) loved the foreleg the most and this was the very portion which was poisoned and offered to
him (by a Jewish woman]. [Shama’il Tirimzi]
The shoulder
Companion Amr narrates that Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala)s dearest prophet Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) was holding the shoulder portion with his hand whilst cutting pieces from it and eating . [Saheeh Bokhari]
Sunnah method of eating meat
Imam Abu Dawud relates the following from companion Safwan (Radiallahu Anhu) : ‘I was partaking of meals with Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) and I was breaking off meat from the bone as I ate. Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) said: ‘Lift the bone to your mouth [instead of breaking off pieces with your hand] as it is more delicious to eat in that manner,’. [Muntaha as-Sul, Vol. 2, Page 138]
Liver
Abu Raafi (Radiallahu Anhu) narrates: ‘I once roasted the liver for Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam). [Sahih Muslim]
A Hadith reported by Imam Dar Qutni states that the liver was the first part of the sacrificial animal which Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) ate. [Mawahib, Vol 4, Page 332]
Feet
Sayyidah Aayesha (Radiallahu Anha) narrates: ‘We sometimes preserved the feet of a slaughtered animal and Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam)would eat it after fifteen days. [Sunan Ibn Majah]
་
A narration in Sahih Bukhari supports the above Hadith as it contains the following, ‘We would eat the feet of the animal fifteen days after Eid’s sacrifice had passed. [Sahih Bukhari]
More to come in sha Allah….under construction. Please check “sunnah of eating“.
Camel meat
Jabir (Radiallahu Anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) instructed them to take a little meat from each of the slaughtered sacrificial camels. This was put into a pot and cooked. The Sahabah ate the meat and drank the gravy. [Sunan Ibn]
Note: During the farewell pilgrimage Sayyiduna Ali (Radiallahu Anhu) brought camels from Yemen and Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) also had camels.There were a hundred camels in total. Rasulullah(Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) slaughtered 63 and Ali slaughtered the remaining 37. Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) then took meat from each camel and put it into a pot.
Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) ate camel meat whilst at home and on journey. [Al- Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah]
Rabbit meat
Companion Anas (Radiallahu Anho) narrates that he once captured a rabbit at a place known as Marr az-Zahraan. He took it to companion Abu Talhah (Radiallahu Anhu) who slaughtered it with a very sharp stone. He roasted it and sent its thigh for Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) .Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) accepted it and ate it. [Sahih Bukhari]
White Antelope
Companion Abu Qatadah (Radiallahu Anhu) narrates that they were a few companions travelling to Makkah with Rasulullah(Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) . Everybody
was in the [inviolable] state of Ihram except Abu Qatadah. Suddenly their eyes fell upon an antelope. Abu Qatadah was busy mending his shoes and paid no attention to what was happening. However, his companions wanted to draw his attention to the animal (as he was not in the sate of Ihram]. He finally looked up and saw the animal. He mounted a horse in an instant and forgot to pick up his spear and whip in his haste. He asked them to hand it to him but they swore that they would not aid him in any way.’ He dismounted, took his weapon himself and chased the animal. He succeeded to hunt the animal down and brought it back. It was cooked and they began eating. Some of them doubted if this meat was permissible for them as they were in the state of Ihram. They kept one leg for Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) and when they met him they enquired if it was permissible for them to eat the meat of a hunted animal whilst they were in Ihram. Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) asked : ” Is anything left from it?” .They presented the foreleg to Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) and he (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) at it . [Sahih Bokhari]
Hubara [Lark-goose – bustard]
Safinah (Radiallahu Anhu) narrated that they ate the meat of a goose/bustard with Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa . [Shama’il, Page 12]
Note: Various interpretations have been given about the nature of this bird. Some scholars have described it as a brownish bird with a long neck and long feet. Its beak is Iso long and it flies very fast. Others say that it is a quail. Some scholars maintain that it is a goose. –[Khasa’il, Page 121]
Mountain goat
Companion Hazim (Radiallahu Anhu narrates that he hunted a mountain goat and presented it as a gift to Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam). Rasulullah Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) accepted the gift and ate it’s meat.’ [Sirat ash-Shami]
Beef
There are Ahadith in Sahih Bokhari and Sahih Muslim which describes that during the Khutba Hujjatul Widah (the farewell sermon) , Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala ala)’s dearest Prophet Muhammad (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) slaughtered a cow and sent to the meat to his wives.
But there are no specific ahadith that tells Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) ate beef or not.
However, a narration in Sahih Bukhari does mention that Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) would either slaughter a camel or a cow upon returning from a journey. [Sahih Bukhari, chapter of travelling].
Another hadith reported by Sayyidah Aayesha (Radiallahu Anha) in Sahih Muslim. It states that beef was once sent to Rasulullah’s (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) home. Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) was informed that Bareera (Radiallahu Anha) had sent it and she had received it as sadaqah.’ Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) said: ‘It is sadaqah for her but a gift
for us.
This suggests that Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) may have eaten it.
Fish
Jabir (Radiallahu Anhu) narrates that Rasulullah Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) sent three hundred companions – including him – on an expedition to capture a trade-caravan of the Qureysh. He narrates the following: ‘We camped at the sea-shore for approximately fifteen days. When our resources were depleted, we were faced with daunting hunger to the extent that we had to eat leaves to survive. One day the ocean spewed out an enormous fish, the likes of which we had never seen before. It was known as Ambar. We consumed its flesh for fifteen days and we also applied its fat on our bodies [as an ointment]. One day Abu Ubaydah (Radiallahu Anhu) took one of its ribs and erected it. It was so tall that a rider on horse-back could comfortably pass beneath it and five people could fit in the socket of its eye.
We informed Rasulullah Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam)
about our unusual experience upon our return to Madinah Munawwarah. Rasulullah Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) told us that the meat was sustenance provided directly by Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala). Rasulullah Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) enquired if we had some of it left over. We had some left over and Rasulullah Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) ate it. [Sahih Bukhari]
Note: Authentic narrations establish that Rasulullah ate fish. The first food to be consumed in paradise will be liver of a fish.
Organs that are not allowed for eating
Ibn Abbas Radiallahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullah considered seven parts of the goat undesirable for consumption; a ductless gland;’ the bladder; the private organs of the female and male; the testicles; the gall bladder and the blood.
Note: Blood is a reference to the spleen. —Muntaha as-Sul, Vol. 2, Page
181
Sweet-meats
Sayyidah Aayesha Radiallahu Anha narrates that Rasulullah loved sweetmeats and honey. -Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 2, Page 817*
Note: The Arabic term [] – Halwa, is translated here as sweetmeats. It is reported that Sayyiduna Uthman Radiallahu Anhu was the first person who made and presented halwa to Rasulullah. It was made from flour and ghee (clarified butter]. —Khasa’il. Page 126
Hays(Desert made with dates)
Sayyidah Aayesha Radiallahu Anha relates the following: ‘One day Rasulullah (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam) asked me if there was anything to eat and I informed him (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم )that there was nothing. He (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) decided to fast for the day and left home. Upon his return I informed him(صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) that somebody had sent a gift and I had kept some for him. Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) enquired what it was and I told him (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم)
that it was Hays . Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) asked for it and when I offered it he (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) ate. [Sahih Muslim]
Note: Allama Aini says that this desert is made with dates, cheese and ghee (clarified butter]. Sometimes cheese substituted with flour.
Khazirah
Companion Itban (رضي الله عنه )narrates that he complained to Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم)
his eyesight was weakening and he was responsible for leading his people in Salah. It often happened during the rainy weather that the valley between him and the Masjid overflowed with water and it was not possible for him to reach the Masjid to lead the congregation. He requested Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) to come to his home and perform Salah at a particular spot so that could demarcate that area as a permanent place for Salah in the future. The following day when the sun was well above the horizon Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) came to his home accompanied by companion Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه). Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) asked him if he preferred any spot for Salah and he indicated to a specific area. Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) commenced Salah and the people of that vicinity followed behind. He (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) performed two units of Salah. Companion Itban (رضي الله عنه ) says: ‘We delayed Rasulullah’s (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) departure as we had prepared Khazirah for him. [Sahih Bukhari]
Note: Khazirah is a dish containing pieces of meat cooked in water. Flour is added to the meat when it is cooked. –[An-Nihayah fi gharib al-Hadith].
Sawiiq
Suwayd (رضي الله عنه) relates: We set off for Khaybar with Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم)
and when we reached a place called Sahbaa – which is very near Khaybar – Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) asked if there was anything to eat. We had nothing except Sawiiq‘, which we offered to Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم). Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم)
partook of this, Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) gargled his mouth after eating and then lead the congregation in Maghrib prayers (Salah). [Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 2, Page 812]
Food with spice
Sayyidah Ummu Salamah Radiallahu Anha narrates that Ibn Abbas, Hasan and Abdullah Ibn Ja’far Radiallahu Anhum once paid her a visit and requested her to cook such food for them which Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) was fond of. Ummu Salamah cautioned them that they would not find such food appetizing. They insisted that they would enjoy the food. She gor up to prepare the meal and took some husk of wheat or barley and put it into a pot, adding olive oil to it. She added cumin-seed and grounded black pepper and allowed it to cook for awhile. She presented it to them saying, ‘This is what Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) ate with relish. –[Shama’il Tirimdhi, Page 12]
Note: The Hadith establishes that Rasulullah ate food which was spiced. Allamah Munawi says that adopting simple and cheap methods
More to come in sha Allah….under construction. Please check “sunnah of eating“.
