One of the most important elements of life is eating food. But what is more important is eating the right food in the right manner. In today’s fast lifestyle, we just fill our bellies to remove our hunger or satisfy our taste buds. Although we all know the impact of food on our overall health. Hence, Allah SWT has guided us to eat the right kind of food in the Quran that is best for us. And we also learn the etiquette of eating food through Sunnah.
The Quran and Sunnah have always been the ultimate guidance for mankind. The guidance is sure to lead the believers to success. As Allah SWT mentions in the Holy Quran:
“Then eat of what Allah has provided for you (which is) lawful and good. And be grateful for the favor of Allah, if it is (indeed) Him that you worship.” (Surah An-Nahl, 16:114)
Indeed, Allah has guided us in all aspects of life. The reward for following that guidance is unimaginable in this world as well as hereafter. Hence, we should plan our dietary habits according to the Quran and Sunnah to attain maximum barakah in our food. Along with following the etiquette and always sticking to Halal food, we should also not forget to dua for eating and a Dua after eating.
Let’s not forget that these Dua are also Dua for barakah in food as we thank Allah for the provision and seek blessings.
Dua after Eating
Making Dua after eating makes us remember Allah and thank Him for providing us with food. Hence, making Dua after eating should be mandatory. Learn different Dua after eating in Arabic as well as English which is given below!
Dua 1
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا، وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ
Al-hamdu lillahi-llazi at’amani haza, wa razaqaniihi min ghairi haulin minni wa la quwwah
“All praise is due to Allah Who has given me food to eat and provided it without any endeavor on my part or any power.” (Sunan At-Tirmizi)
Dua 2
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَجَعَلَنَا مُسْلِمِينَ
Alhamdu-lillahil-lazi at’amana wa saqana wa ja’alana muslimin
“All praise is due to Allah Who have given us food and drinks and ordained us as Muslims”
Dua Before Eating
Always start with:
Dua 1
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
bismi-llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Dua 2
-Another Dua to say after having the meal is eating dua that is mentioned in Muwatta’ Malik is:
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيمَا رَزَقْتَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Allahumma barik lana fima razaqtana waqina azaban-nar
“O Allah! Bless us in what You have provided us with and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”
Dua 3
Dua #3 is mentioned in Tirmizi as:
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيهِ وَأَطْعِمْنَا خَيْرًا مِنْهُ
“O Allah! Bless it for us and provide us with that which is even better” (Sunan At-Tirmizi)
If anyone forgets to recite the Dua before eating, then they must say halfway through the meal:
بِسمِ اللهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ
Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirahu
In the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end
This is also a part of Sunnah. According to the hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud:
When any of you wants to eat, he should mention the Name of Allah (Bismillah) in the beginning. If he forgets to do it in the beginning, he should say (I begin with the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end).
Importance of Dua after Eating
Dua is a powerful weapon that saves us from Shayateen in an unimaginable way. It is a kind of protective gear that we attain as we remember Allah SWT before any work that we do. And eating and drinking should not be done without the remembrance of Allah too. There are many benefits of reciting dua before and after eating food as mentioned in various hadiths.
Reciting Dua after eating gets our past sins forgiven!
Mu’adh bin Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,
“He who has taken food and says at the end: ‘Al- hamdu lillahi-lladhi at’amani hadha, wa razaqanihi min ghairi haulin minni wa la quwwatin (All praise is due to Allah Who has given me food to eat and provided it without any endeavor on my part or any power),’ all his past sins will be forgiven.” [Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi].
How Merciful is our Lord! He not only makes us feed upon the best in this world but also makes the Hereafter better while enjoying his bounties on this earth.
Reciting Dua before and a Dua after eating is a part of Sunnah
Every work should be done with the name of Allah. Hence, reciting the dua helps us in remembering Allah and also following the Sunnah.
Umar bin Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), said to me, “Mention Allah’s Name (i.e., say Bismillah before starting eating), eat with your right hand, and eat from what is near you.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Reciting Dua before and a Dua after eating keeps the Satan (shayateen) away from our food.
Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, “If a person mentions the Name of Allah upon entering his house or eating, Satan says, addressing his followers: ‘You will find no where to spend the night and no dinner.’ But if he enters without mentioning the Name of Allah, Satan says (to his followers); ‘You have found (a place) to spend the night in, and if he does not mention the Name of Allah at the time of eating, Satan says: ‘You have found (a place) to spend the night in as well as food.”‘ [Muslim].
Hence, we must recite the Dua while eating the food so that we can keep Satan away from our house and meals.
Reciting the Dua before and a dua after eating brings blessings and Barakah.
Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was eating with his six Companions when a desert Arab came and ate up the food in two mouthfuls. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Had he mentioned the Name of Allah, it would have sufficed for all of you.” [At-Tirmidhi].
Manners and Etiquette of Eating and Drinking
- Always start with the name of Allah.
- Eat with the right hand and eat from the corner of your own side that is near to you.
- Never criticize the food.
- Do not overeat.
“The son of Adam cannot fill a vessel worse than his stomach, as it is enough for him to take a few bites to straighten his back. If he cannot do it, then he may fill it with a third of his food, a third of his drink, and a third of his breath.’”
(Sunan Ibn Majah)
- Drink water in three gulps.
- Always recite dua before eating and the other dua after eating a meal.
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