The Book of Drinks

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sufyan with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.

Jabir reported: I heard Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: The Satan is present with any one of you in everything he does; he is present even when he eats food; so if any one of you drops a mouthful he should remove away anything filthy on it and eat it and not leave for the devil; and when he finishes (food) he should lick his fingers, for he does not know in what portion of his food the blessing lies.

This hadith is reported on the authority of A'mash with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of words but no mention is made of the first part of the hadith, i. e. the Satan is present with any one of you.

Jabir reported from Allah's Messenger. (may peace be upon him) about mentioning the licking (of fingers) and the (falling of) the mouthful.

Anas reported that when Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) ate food he licked his three fingers, and he said: When any one of you drops a mouthful he should remove anything filthy from it and then eat it, and should not leave it for the Satan. He also commanded us that we should wipe the dish saying: You do not know in what portion of your food the blessing lies.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When any one of you eats food he should lick his fingers, for he does not know in what part of the food sticking to his fingers the blessing lies. This hadith has been reported on the authority of Hammad with the same chain of transmitters, but with a slight variation of wording.

Abu Mas'ud Ansari reported that a person from the Ansar who was called Abu Shu'aib had a slave who was a butcher (by profession). He (Abu Mas'ud) saw Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and found signs of hunger on his face. He said to the servant: 0 ye, prepare for us food sufficient for five persons, for I intend to invite Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) who would be the fifth amongst the five. He (the narrator) reported that he then prepared the food and came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and invited all the five (including him) who was the fifth amongst them to the feast. A man followed him and when Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) reached the door, he said: This man has followed us; if you like you may permit him (to join the meal) and if you like he can go back. Thereupon the person said: Allah's Messenger, I permit him.

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Abu Mas'ud Ansari through another chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Jabir also.

Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had a neighbour who was Persian (by descent), and he was expert in the preparation of soup. He prepared (soup) for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and then came to him to invite him (to that feast). He (Allah's Messenger) said: Here is 'A'isha also (and you should also invite her to the food). He said: No. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) also said: No (then I cannot join the feast). He returned inviting him, and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: She is also there (i. e. 'A'isha should also be invited). He said: No. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) also said: No (and declined his offer). He returned again to invite him and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) again said: She is also there. He (the host) said:" Yes" for the third time. Then he accepted his invitation, and both of them set out until they came to his house.

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) went out (of his house) one day or one night, and there he found Abu Bakr and 'Umar also. He said: What has brought you out of your houses at this hour? They said: Allah's Messenger, it is hunger. Thereupon he said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, what has brought you out has brought me out too; get up. They got up along with him. and (all of them) came to the house of an Ansari, but he was not at home. When his wife saw him she said: Most welcome, and Allah's Messenger (may peace be Upon him) said to her: Where is so and so? She said: He has gone to get some fresh water for us. When the Ansari came and he saw Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and his two Companions, he said: Praise be to Allah, no one has more honourable guests today than I (have). He then went out and brought them a bunch of ripe dates, dry dates and fresh dates, and said: Eat some of them. He then took hold of his long knife (for slaughtering a goat or a sheep). Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to him: Beware of killing a milch animal. He slaughtered a sheep for them and after they had eaten of it and of the bunch and drank, and when they had taken their fill and had been fully satisfied with the drink, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to Abu Bakr and Umar: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, you will certainly be questioned about this bounty on the Day of judgment. Hunger brought you out of your house, then you did not return until this bounty came to you.

Abu Huraira reported: One day while Abu Bakr was sitting and there was with him Umar also there came to them Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he said: What makes you stay here? They said: It is hunger that has brought us out from our houses. By Him Who has stint you with Truth; the rest of the hadith is the same.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported: When the ditch was dug, I saw Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) feeling very hungry. I came to my wife and said to her: Is there anything with you? I have seen Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) feeling extremely hungry. She brought out a bag of provisions which contained a sa', of barley. We had also with us a lamb. I slaughtered it. She ground the flour. She finished (this work) along with me. I cut it into pieces and put it in the earthen pot and then returned to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) (for inviting him). She said: Do not humiliate me in the presence of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and those who are with him. When I came to him I whispered to him saying: Allah's Messenger, we have slaughtered a lamb for you and she has ground a sa' of barley which we had with us. So you come along with a group of people with you. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said loudly: O people of the ditch, Jabir has arranged a feast for you, so (come along). Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Do not remove your earthen pot from the hearth and do not bake the bread from the kneaded flour until I come. So I came and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came and he was ahead of the people; and I came to my wife and she said (to me): You will be humbled. I said: I did what you had asked me to do. She (his wife) said: I brought out the kneaded flour and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) put some saliva of his in that and blessed It. He then put saliva in the earthen pot and blessed it and then said. Call another baker who can bake with you. and bring out the soup from it, but do not remove it from the hearth, and the guests were one thousand. (Jabir said): I take an oath by Allah that all of them ate (the food to their fill) until they left it and went away and our earthen pot was brimming over as before, and so was the case with our flour, or as Dahhak (another narrator) said: It (the flour) was in the same condition and loaves had been prepared from that.

Anas b. Malik reported that Abu Talha said to Umm Sulaim: I felt some feebleness in the voice of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and perceived that it was due to hunger; so have you anything with you? She said: Yes. She brought out barley loaves, then took out a head-covering of hers, in a part of which she wrapped those loaves and then put them beneath my mantle and covered me with a part of it. She then sent me to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I set forth and found Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) sitting in the mosque in the company of some persons. I stood near them, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Has Abu Talha sent you? I said, Yes. He said: Is it for a feast? I said. Yes. Thereupon Allah's messenger (may peace be upon him) said to'those who were with him to get up He went forth and so I did before them, until I came to Abu Talha and informed him. Abu Talba said: Umm Sulaim, here comes Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) along with people and we do not have enough (food) to feed them. She said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Abu Talha went out (to receive him) Until he met Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) came forward along with him until they both (Allah's Messenger, along with Abu Talha) came in. Then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Umm Sulaim. bring forth that which you have with you. She brought the bread. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) commanded that the bread be broken into small pieces, and when Umm Sulaim had squeezed a small waterskin and put seasoning on it, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) recited something regarding it what Allah wished him to say. He then said: Allow ten (guests to come in and have their meals). He permitted them; they ate until they had their fill. They then went out. He (the Holy Prophet) again said: Permit ten (more) and he (the host gave permission to them. They ate until they had enough. Then they went out. he again said: Permit ten (more) until all the people had eaten to their fill, and they were seventy or eighty persons.

Anas b. Malik reported: Abu Talha sent me to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) in order to invite him (for meal). She had prepared a meal. So I came and found Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) along with some people. He looked at me, and I felt shy and said: Accept the invitation of Abu Talha. He (the Holy Prophet) asked the people to get up. Thereupon Abu Talha said: Allah's Messenger, I have prepared something for you. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) touched (the food) and invoked blessings upon it, and then said: Let ten persons from my Companions enter (the house). He then said: Eat, and (in the meanwhile) brought out something from between his fingers for them. They then began to eat until they had their fill and then went out. He then asked ten more men (to have the meal) and they ate to their fill, and the ten persons went on getting in (and eating the food) and then getting out until none was left amongst them who had not got in and eaten to his fill. He then collected (the remaining part of the food) and it (the quantity of the food) was the same (as it had been prior to the serving of guests).

Anas b Malik reported: Abu Talha sent me to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) ; the rest of the hadith is the same, but 'there is a slight variation of wording that he said at the end (The Holy Prophet) took what was left (of the food) and collected it and then invoked blessings upon it and it returned to its original state. He (the Holy Prophet) then said Take this.

Anas b. Malik reported: Abu Talha ordered Umm Sulaim to prepare a meal specially for Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him). He then sent me to him (to the Holy Prophet) ; the rest of the hadith is the same (but there is a slight variation of wording):" Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) placed his hand and mentioned the name of Allah upon that, and then said: Admit ten men. He (Abu Talha) admitted them and they got in. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Eat while mentioning the name of Allah upon it (the meal). They ate until eighty persons had taken the food. Then Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) had his meal and so the members of the household, and still they left some food."

Anas b. Malik reported this incident pertaining to the feast given by Abu Talha to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) with the addition of these words: " Abu Talha stood at the door (to welcome the honourable guest) until Allah's Messenger (may peacec be upon him) came there, He (Abu Talha) said to him: Allah's Messenger, the thing (we intend to offer you as a meal) is small in quantity. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Bring that, for Allah will soon bless it (and increase it).

Anas b. Malik reported this hadith (with a slight variation of wording) Then AlIah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) ate and the people of his house also ate. but (still) there was left a surplus, which they sent to their neighbours.

Anas b. Malik reported: Abu Talha saw Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) lying down upon his belly in the mosque. He came to Umm Sulaim and said: I saw Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) lying down upon the belly in the mosque, and I think he is hungry. The rest of the hadith is the same (but with the addition of these words) that Allah's messenger (may peace be upon him) ate (the food) and so did Abu Talha, Umm Sulaim and Anas b. Malik, but there was left some. thing which we presented to our neighbours.

Anas b. Malik reported: I visited Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) one day and found him sitting in the company of his Companions and talking to them, and he had tied his belly with a bandage. Usama said: I am in doubt whether there was stone on that (his belly) or not. I asked some of his Companions why Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had bandaged his belly. They said: (He has done that to relieve) his hunger. I went to Abu Talha, the husband of Umm Sulaim, the daughter of Milhan, and said to him: Father, I saw Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) having bandaged his belly. I asked some of his Companions (the reason of it) and they said that it was due to hunger. Abu Talha came to mv mother and said: Is there anything? She said: Yes, I have some pieces of bread with me and some dates. If Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) comes to us alone we can feed him to his fill, but if someone comes along with him this would be insufficient for them. The rest of the hadith is the same.

Anas b. Malik reported this hadith pertaining to the entertainment of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) by Abu Talha through another chain of transmitters.

Anas b. Malik reported: A tailor invited Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to a meal which he had prepared. Anas b. Malik said: I went along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to that feast. He presented to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) barley bread and soup containing pumpkin, and sliced pieces of meat. Anas said: I saw Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) going after the pumpkin round the dish, so I have always liked the pumpkin since that day.

Anas b. Malik reported that a person invited Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to a meal. I also went along with him. He brought soup containing pumpkin. Allah's 'messenger (may peace be upon him) ate that pumpkin with relish. He (Anas) said: When I saw that I began to place it before him, and did not eat it (myself). Anas said: It was since then that pumpkin was always my favourite (food).

Anas b. Malik rdported that a tailor invited Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to a feast. There has been an addition to this that Thabit said: I heard Anas saying that any meal that was prepared for me after that I tried that it should contain pumpkin.

'Abdullah b. Busr reported: AUah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to my father and we brought to him a meal and a preparation from dates, cheese and butter. He ate out of that. He was then given dates which he ate but he placed their stones between his fingers, and he joined his forefinger and middle finger. Shu'ba reported: I think that this hadith God's willing also contains (these words): Putting of date stones between two fingers. Then a drink was brought for him and he drank it, and then gave it to one who was on his right side. He (the narrator) said: My father took hold of the rein of his riding animal and requested him to supplicate for us. Thereupon he said: O Allah. bless them in what Thou hast provided them as a sustenance; and forgive them and have mercy upon them.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters and they did not doubt about keeping the dates between his fingers (as is expressed in the previous hadith).

'Abdullah b. Ja'far reported: I saw Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) eating cucumber with fresh dates.