Sunnats of drinking: Water

     There are five sunnats of drinking:
1.   Never drink from a bottle (carbon dioxide is released in the bottle).
2.   Do not drink from the mug's cleft and do not breathe in the beverage.
3.   Drink in three drafts. (sips). The Holy Prophet  has said:
      "The water quenches the thirst and is sanitary."
4.   Invoke Allah (s.w) when you drink and praise him when you finish. It is reported in a hadith that the
      Holy Prophet  said:
      "Do not drink the water in one draft just like camels but drink it in one or three gushes,
      and  invoke Allah (s.w) when you drink and praise him when you finish."

Manners of sitting whilst eating

 

Regarding the manners of sitting when eating it was the habit of the Holy Prophet  that he did not eat whilst reclining.
     It was true that the Holy Prophet  said:
"I do not eat while reclining. I do sit like the slave of Allah and I do eat like him."
It is narrated in a hadith that the Holy Prophet  prohibited the man to eat while lying with his face  downward.
      The concept of reclining has been explained in various ways:
1.   To sit cross-legged.
2.   To lean on an object.
3.   To lean upon a flank (side).

Regarding  number 3, (to lean upon  a flank) it is the most harmful way of sitting because when you lean upon a flank it alters the natural way of food . The other two (to sit cross-legged  and to lean on an object ) are the ways the powerful people sit who go contrary to slavery.

The Sunnats Of Eating

 

1.    To wash both hands up to the wrists
2.    To spread out the dastarkhan (table cloth)
3.    To recite Bismillah
4.    To eat with the right hand (unless you are incapable of)
5.    To eat from that which is in front of you.
       If there is a variety of food in the dastarkhan then one could eat whatever one likes. One should
       stretch out his hand (in order to get the food) after the other person has drawn his hand back.

Teeth care

Abu-Na'eem (the blessed one) has written in Kitabut-Tib that Qabiyah bin Zaweer (r.a) reports from the Holy Prophet  that he (the prophet) has instructed for picking teeth as failing to do this makes teeth weak and angels disgusted.

     The one who observes the prophet's guidance will find out that it is the best way of preserving the health. In fact the health preservation depends on the good managing of food, drink, clothing, residence air, sleeping, awakening, movement, serenity, marriage, emptying and restraining. If these elements take place moderately and in a proper way that fits the body, the country, the age and the habitude; health would be preserved until death.

Dangers of Excessive Eating

      Eating less also holds some great benefits. Describing these benefits the most eminent scholar of the 20th Century Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi Sahib (rah) who at the age of 25 became an Alim (scholar). For the aid of the muslim ummah (generation) he began writing Kitabs (islamic books) regarding the muslim law in which he wrote a great number of kitabs which come to a calculation of over 950. Until now these kitabs are flourishing around the whole globe very rapidly. His kitabs can be found in every topic: Fiqh (jurisprudence), Qur'an, T.V, Music, etc. An article had been published in a magazine called 'Al-Mu'min' in which it states that he has scientifically warned:
     "Many sins are  the consequences of providing excessive nourishment to the stomach, i.e.. Abstain from haram food. Do not become addicted to delicious food. Do not eat excessively. Leave some space in the stomach, i.e.. Do not eat to satiation.