ملتقى الشفاء الإسلامي - Mentioning Bismillah before and saying Al-Hamdulillah after Eating

باب التسمية في أوله والحمد في آخره

Bab attasmeyah fe awwalehe wa alhamd fe akereh

Mentioning Bismillah before and saying Al-Hamdulillah after Eating

728 - عن عمر بن أبي سلمة رضي الله عنه قال قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : [ سم الله ، وكل بيمينك ، وكل مما يليك ] متفق عليه

an Omar ebn abe Salamah radya Allaho anho qal , qal rasolo Allahe salla Allaho alayhe wa sallam : ( sa'mme Allaha , wa kol be'ya'meenek , wa kol mema yaleek )

728. `Umar bin Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH), 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].

Commentary: There are two things about this Hadith. First, we should start eating or drinking by pronouncing the Name of Allah. Second, we should eat from our side without stretching our hand to the side where someone else is eating. This may be the case when more than one or two people are eating the same kind of food from a single dish. Good manners do not allow it, yet in case a variety of food or fruit is lying before us on the table, we are free to take our pick.