8 Etiquette of Eating in Islam

A meal is a time to relax and refuel with scrumptious and healthy food.

People typically don't have much time to eat since they also need to be mindful of the passing of time so that they may continue with their daily tasks.

For instance, at breakfast, people must eat in accordance with the time allotted so they may get ready before leaving for activities, such as going for school, college, or job.

A person runs the risk of being late for their activities if they are too relaxed for breakfast. 

Likewise with lunch. Muslims in particular should schedule time for the noon prayer in addition to meals. Other religions should likewise allow for relaxation periods so that their adherents can carry on with their activities in a rejuvenated frame of mind.

For dinner, one must avoid eating late and relaxing out of concern for waking others. Some individuals also spend the evening getting ready for the day's events.

One must be able to move swiftly in the midst of a busy schedule to avoid wasting any time. Even while a person's schedule is likely highly busy, this does not excuse them from following the rules of dining, such as reading prayers before meals and praying afterward.

Eating etiquette

Eating etiquette is something that people usually forget when they grow up. In fact, it is very likely that they were taught eating etiquette when they were at school or by their parents when they were young. The etiquette of eating is also a topic in Islamic subjects.

Even so, in fact eating etiquette is not something that many people pay attention to. According to them, if they want to eat, they don't need to pay attention to trivial things like eating etiquette. However, this assumption is not entirely true.

Following the etiquette of eating, from reading the prayer before eating to reading the prayer before eating signifies the figure of a civilized person. You need to remember that we are not animals who can do various things carelessly regardless of their surroundings.

In addition to showing that someone is a civilized human being, they can also save time that was previously potentially wasted if they do not follow the etiquette of eating. There are several eating customs that actually aim to make you more efficient in utilizing time.

In addition to some of the benefits above, you can also feel a number of other benefits ranging from maintaining cleanliness, maintaining politeness and politeness, and even being able to avoid stomach diseases due to eating carelessly.

Therefore, here we will both discuss what are the eating etiquette that we need to follow. Those who feel that they have not followed this etiquette of eating, can try to apply these etiquette of eating after you read and listen to the explanation below.

WASHING HAND

There is a possibility that the activities that You do will make your hands dirty. Dirty hands have the potential to carry viruses, germs, or other dirt. If you do not wash your hands before eating, there is a possibility that this virus or germ will transfer to the food you are about to eat.

If that happens, the food you eat instead of providing you with nutrition to continue your activities, actually becomes a disease spreader. For this reason, it is recommended to wash your hands so that you can reduce the risk of getting disease from dirty hands.

READING PRAYERS BEFORE EATING

Reading prayers, not only prayers before eating, but other prayers such as prayers before going to bed or prayers before traveling does look simple. However, the difference between people who read prayers and do not read prayers will be quite significant.

In this case, reading the prayer before eating is a sign that You are thanking to Allah for the food you get, and asking for His blessing so that the food you eat can bring blessings to you. A more detailed discussion regarding prayer before eating will be explained in the next session.

EATING WITH THE RIGHT HAND

Eating with the right hand has become etiquette when eating. People who have the habit of using their left hand are also eventually forced to eat using their right hand. What is the reason behind using the right hand while eating, and it is not recommended to use the left hand?

You may be aware that we often do dirty things like cleaning dirt with our left hand. Besides being dirty, that's where the devil resides. Using the right hand, apart from being polite, will also avoid the presence of demons from the food you eat, and avoid the behavior of demons who eat with their left hand.

SIT WHILE EATING

While eating, You may be told it's not good to eat standing up. This is considered a form of disrespect by others. But besides being rude, there are scientific reasons why people are advised to sit down while eating.

Apparently, human digestive organs cannot function properly when they are standing. Be it the intestines, stomach, or kidneys, will work more optimally in digesting food when a person sits. This can prevent humans from digestive diseases and excessive satiety.

NOT TALKING WHILE EATING

Another eating etiquette that You may no longer practice is not talking while eating. Not infrequently we decide to talk while eating because we think there is something important to discuss. In fact, you can talk about it later after eating.

Talking while eating, in addition to being rude, can also potentially make food spit out and out of the mouth. You can also choke on your food. It would be nice if you finished the food first before talking to the other person.

DON'T BLOW FOOD WHILE EATING

There are times when we are eating, the food in front of us is so hot that we decide to blow this food. In fact, this is actually not good manners. It's possible that your blowing on this food also releases saliva from the mouth and sprays in other directions.

Of course that wasn't polite, especially if You were eating with someone else. The solution to this is as simple as waiting for the food to cool a bit so you can handle the food. You can also scoop food from the side, the part that is generally not too hot.

STOP WHEN YOU ARE FULL

The habit of continuing to eat when your stomach is full is not a good thing. From a health perspective, forcing yourself to eat when you feel full can potentially make your stomach hurt. Your digestive organs may not necessarily be able to cope with the amount of food that comes in.

Meanwhile, from an ethical point of view, eating continuously will make you look greedy. Of course, You don't want to be seen by others as greedy. So, you should eat enough and stop when you feel full.

SAY "ALHAMDULILLAH" AFTER EATING

Just like reading the prayer before eating, the prayer after eating should be read after you eat. This shows that you are grateful to Allah for the food and sustenance in the form He has given you.

Don't forget you should say "Hamdallah" or "Alhamdulillah" when you have finished eating, again as a form of gratitude for having been given food sustenance that day. Prayers after eating will also be discussed in more detail in the next session.

Prayer Before Eating

Reading prayers before eating and praying after eating are part of the eating etiquette that we discussed earlier. However, there are times when a person forgets to do this, because they may be in a hurry to eat due to hunger, or even feel that it is not something important.

You need to know that reading prayer is a sign that a Muslim surrenders himself to Allah, the Creator, with all his heart. This also signifies that you are always grateful and want to thank Him for the sustenance that he provides.

The prayer before eating is:

الَّلهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيمَا رَزَقْتَنَا، وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

"Allahumma baarik lanaa fiimaa rozaqtanaa wa qinaa 'adzaa bannar."

Meaning: "O Allah, bless us in the sustenance that You have given us and protect us from the torment of hell fire."

From the meaning of the prayer before eating above, You can see that this prayer is a form of gratitude for a Muslim to Allah for having been given sustenance, in this case, in the form of food that they can eat that day.

Not only that, in addition to being grateful for the sustenance that He has given, You  also hope that his sustenance will always be bestowed and be avoided from the heat of hellfire. This last point is something that is very much avoided by any Muslim.

Prayer After Eating

اَلْحَمْدُ ِللهِ الَّذِيْنَ اَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَجَعَلَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ

"Alhamdulillahil Ladzi ath-amanaa wa saqaana waja'alanaa minal muslimin."

Meaning: "Praise be to Allah who has given us food and drink and made us among the Muslims."

After eating, we should also thank Allah. Because of His power we can get sustenance in the form of food on that day. Of course, we do not want this luxury in the form of food to be taken away by Him one day.

In addition, this prayer also shows evidence that Allah loves all His servants with all his heart. He also includes Muslims in this prayer, because of course it is not only Muslims who get the blessing and luxury of eating.

Food Recommended by Islam

After learning the etiquette of eating, from reading the prayer before eating to reading the prayer after eating, You should be able to realize how important it is for you to eat by following the appropriate etiquette and norms.

In this last session, we will discuss what foods are recommended by Islam to its people. Of course, there will be no use if we eat according to Islamic religious etiquette but do not follow the food recommended by our own religion.

We will not discuss a specific food, but the types of food in general. What is clear, these foods are recommended because they can meet the nutrition of anyone who consumes them. 

So, if there is an opportunity, You can try to eat the foods below.

1. Meat

Animal meat such as chicken, beef, mutton, or fish meat, has good nutrition for the human body. You will get a source of animal protein for your body as well as other substances ranging from iron, calcium, manganese, and other substances that are good for the body.

2. Vegetables

Islam encourages its followers to consume vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and spinach. This form of consumption is not without reason, because in vegetables, there are many vitamins that are beneficial to the human body. You can find almost all types of vitamins in vegetables such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E.

3. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates have various types. Whether it's carbohydrates that are sourced from the soil such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro, or cassava, or carbohydrates from grains such as corn, rice, and wheat, they all have their own benefits. You can get glucose, fiber and other substances to maintain a healthy body.

4. Milk

Milk, although actually entered into the category of drinks, also has benefits for the body if consumed. Milk which contains animal protein and calcium can also be processed into other products such as cheese, butter, or yogurt. All of them have benefits and good properties for the human body.

5. Fruits

Finally, Islam also recommends its people to often consume fruits. Fruits that have a sweet and refreshing taste, also have a myriad of beneficial substances for the body. Fruits such as oranges, apples, grapes, bananas and watermelons contain vitamins, glucose, and fiber.

With this, the article has ended that discusses eating etiquette, from prayer before eating to prayer after eating. Hopefully after You read this article, you will be willing to apply the etiquette mentioned above.

Not only that, you also get information about the foods that are recommended by Islam to be consumed. The hope is that your desire to maintain a healthy body can increase and start consuming these foods in order to realize this desire.

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