Saying Bismillah Before and Al-Hamdulillah After Eating

'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." <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>.

عن عمر بن أبى سلمة رضى الله عنهما قال‏:‏ قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏‏

‏سم الله وكل بيمينك، وكل مما يليك‏

‏.‏ ((متفق عليه))

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When any of you wants to eat, he should mention the Name of Allah in the begining, (i.e., say Bismillah). If he forgets to do it in the beginning, he should say Bismillah awwalahu wa akhirahu (I begin with the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end)." <b>[At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]</b>.

وعن عائشة رضى الله عنها قالت ‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏ ‏

‏إذا أكل أحدكم فليذكر اسم الله تعالى، فإذا نسى أن يذكر اسم الله تعالى في أوله، فليقل، بسم الله أوله وآخره‏

‏‏.‏ ((رواه أبو داود والترمذي))

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."' <b>[Muslim]</b>.

وعن جابر، رضى الله عنه قال‏:‏ سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول‏:‏ ‏

‏إذا دخل الرجل بيته، فذكر الله تعالى عند دخوله وعند طعامه، قال الشيطان لأصحابه‏:‏ لا مبيت لكم ولا عشاء، وإذا دخل ، فلم يذكر الله تعالى عند دخوله، قال الشيطان‏:‏ أدركتم المبيت؛ وإذا لم يذكر الله تعالى عند طعامه قال‏:‏ أدركتم المبيت والعشاء‏

‏ ‏. ((رواه مسلم))

Hudhaifah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

When we attended a meal with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we would not stretch forth our hands towards the food until he (ﷺ) would start eating first. Once, we were with him when a little girl rushed in as if someone was impelling her. She was about to lay her hand on the food when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) caught her hand. Then a bedouin came in rushing as if someone were pushing him. He (ﷺ) caught his hand also and said, "Satan considers that food lawful for himself on which the Name of Allah is not mentioned. He (Satan) brought this girl to make the food lawful through her but I caught her hand. Then he brought the bedouin to make it lawful through him but I caught his hand too. By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, now Satan's hand is in my grasp along with their hands." Then he mentioned the Name of Allah and began to eat. <b>[Muslim]</b>.

وعن حذيفة رضى الله عنه قال‏:‏ كنا إذا حضرنا مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم طعاماً، لم نضع أيدينا حتى يبدأ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فيضع يده‏.‏ وإنا حضرنا معه مرةً طعاماً، فجاءت جارية كأنها تدفع، فذهبت لتضع يدها في الطعام، فأخذ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بيدها، ثم جاء أعرابي كأنما يدفع فأخذ بيده، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏ ‏

‏إن الشيطان يستحل الطعام أن لا يذكر اسم الله تعالى عليه، وإنه جاء بهذه الجارية ليستحل بها، فأخذت بيدها، فجاء بهذا الأعرابي ليستحل به، فأخذت بيده، والذي نفسي بيده إن يده في يدي مع يديهما‏

‏ ثم ذكر اسم الله تعالى وأكل‏.‏ ‏‏((رواه مسلم))‏

Umaiyyah bin Makhshi (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting while a man was eating food. That man did not mention the Name of Allah (before commencing to eat) till only a morsel of food was left. When he raised it to his mouth, he said: "Bismillah awwalahu wa akhirahu (With the Name of Allah, in the beginning and in the end)." Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) smiled at this and said, "Satan had been eating with him but when he mentioned the Name of Allah, Satan vomited all that was in his stomach." <b>[Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i]</b>.

وعن أمية بن مخشى الصحابي رضى الله عنه قال‏:‏ كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جالساً ، ورجل يأكل، فلم يسم الله حتى لم يبق من طعامه إلا لقمة، فلما رفعها إلى فيه، قال‏:‏ بسم الله أوله وآخره، فضحك النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، ثم قال‏:‏‏

‏ما زال الشيطان يأكل معه، فلما ذكر اسم الله استقاء ما فيه بطنه‏

‏ ‏.‏ ‏‏((رواه أبو داود والنسائي))

'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." <b>[At-Tirmidhi]</b>.

وعن عائشة رضى الله عنها قالت‏:‏ كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يأكل طعاماً في ستة من أصحابه، فجاء أعرابى، فأكله بلقمتين‏.‏ فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏

‏أما إنه لو سمى لكفاكم‏

‏‏.‏((رواه الترمذي))

Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) finished a meal, he would say: "Al-hamdu lillahi hamdan kathiran taiyyiban mubarakan fihi, ghaira makfiyyin wa la muwadda`in, wa la mustaghnan `anhu, Rabbuna. (All praise is due to Allah, praise which is abundant, pure, and full of blessings, which is indispensable and to which one cannot be indifferent).'' <b>[Al-Bukhari]</b>.

وعن أبى أمامة رضى الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان إذا رفع مائدته قال‏:‏ ‏

‏الحمد لله حمداً كثيراً طَيِّباً مباركاً فيه، غير مكفى ولامودع، ولا مستغنى عنه ربنا‏

‏ ‏‏.‏(‏‏(‏رواه البخارى‏)‏‏)‏‏

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 endeavour on my part or any power),' all his past sins will be forgiven." <b>[Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi]</b>.

وعن معاذ بن أنس رضى الله عنه قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏ ‏

‏من أكل طعاماً فقال‏:‏ الحمد الله الذي أطعمني هذا، ورزقنيه من غير حول منى ولا قوةٍ، غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه‏

‏ ‏‏.‏((رواه أبو داود والترمذي))