Food and drink are great gifts from Allah . Wash your hands properly before eating. Come to the table in clean clothes. Sit straight at the table. You may keep your hands on your lap when you are not eating. Immediately before eating or drinking you should say: Bismillaah and after eating or drinking you should say: AI-Hamdu lillaah.
Pick up a small morsel of food with your right hand, then chew it well and swallow it slowly. If you are sharing your plate with somebody, take the food from your side of the plate.
If there are different kinds of food, it is all right if you move your hand around. The same is true of fruits and sweetmeats. Use three fingers to handle food. You should not blow on food or drink, nor breathe inside the container. Hold the cup or glass away from your mouth, then bring it close again after you have caught your breath. Do not recline while eating or drinking.
It is permissible to eat and drink standing, but while sitting down to eat and drink is much better.
When you eat, bring the food to your mouth. Do not bend to meet it halfway between your plate and your seat. The hand, which is not in use, may remain on your lap or on the table.
Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said, “Let no one among you eat with his left or drink with his left, for Satan eats with his left and drinks with his left.” Don’t call attention to your eating, making unnecessary noise either with your mouth or with your plate.
Talking with your mouth full is a sign of very bad table manners. Once you have placed a morsel of food into your mouth, do not take it out again. If a bite of food is too hot, take a sip of water or any other drink being served with the meal to cool it down. When you eat something and then unhappily discover that you do not like it at all, then swallow it; don’t spit it out. But if you happen to take a bite of food that is spoiled, you may spit it out without attracting attention. While having a meal, do not stretch except when there is a need for it.
Try not to blow your nose at the table. If you have to, do it quickly and quietly, turning your head to one side, away from people.
When you finish your meal, say the following du’aa:
