The Etiquettes of Eating
The following actions, which are related to eating food, are Mustahab:
- Washing the hands before and after eating.
- Saying “Bismillah” when starting to eat, and saying “Alhamdolillah” when one is finished eating.
- Eating with the right hand.
- Eating small bites of food.
- Chewing the food properly.
- Washing fruit with water before eating it.
- If many people are sitting at a dinner table, then one should start with that food which is in front of him.
- The host should start eating before all the guests, and should finish after all of them.
The following actions, which are related to eating food, are Makruh:
- Eating food when one is full.
- Eating to one’s fill (eating too much food).
- Looking at the faces of others while eating.
- Eating hot food.
- Blowing on hot food.
- Cutting the bread with a knife.
- Placing the bread under the dishes.
- Throwing away fruit before it has been completely eaten.