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Monday, December 22, 2014

Why Muslim eats with right hand?



There are numerous Hadith Ahad from the Prophet(pbuh) advising Muslim to eat and drink with the right hand. The authenticity of these hadiths are mostly Zanni al Thubut(unauthentic but certain) meaning it's certain in its implication and meaning but do not have the Mutawatir level. For example:

Narrated by ‘Umar ibn Salamah said: The Prophet (pbuh) said: “O young boy, say the name of Allah and eat with your right hand, and eat from what is nearest to you.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari - 5376 and Muslim - 2022)

In Sunan Abi Dawood (33) it is narrated that Aisyah said: The right hand of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was for his purification and food, and his left hand was for using the toilet and anything that was dirty(Sahih by al-Albaani in Sahih Abi Dawood)

The certainty of the meaning of these hadiths is the encouragement by the Prophet to eat and drink with the right hand. The later hadith above explained the purpose and objective behind this ruling. Some scholars classified this ruling about eating and drinking with right hand as Hygienic Sunnah of the Prophet but other scholars added that the maqasid behind this ruling derived from this Quranic verses:

"So as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, "Here, read my record!"(QS 69:19)

"Then as for he who is given his record in his right hand"(QS 84:7)

These verses indicate that the believer who is destined for Paradise will take his book of deed in his right hand, and that the disbeliever who is doomed to Hell will take his book in his left hand, from behind his back.

Scholars said that the Prophet encourages Muslim to eat and drink with right hand is because wanting uniformity in the ummah and also to remind the ummah to live their life the righteous way so that they will receive their book of deed with their right hand, beside the hygienic reason. There is another hadith ahad that saying only syaitan or evildoer who told lies about Allah eats with left hand and they will received their Book of Deed with left hand.

Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “No one among you should eat with his left hand or drink with it, for the syaitan eats with his left hand and drinks with it.” (Hadith by Muslim - 2020)

Scholars has classified that eating and drinking with the right hand is a ruling that were not performed for the purpose of clarifying any commandments of the Allah because the Quran was silence about it. Rather, the Prophet performed this actions out of personal preference derived from community customary or neighborly need(uruf).

There're difference of opinion among the scholars regarding the hukum for eating and drinking with right hand. Some scholars like Imam al Ghazali, Imam Nawawi and some scholars in the Shafii mazhab says it's mustahab(sunat), others says it's Wajib.

But most scholars agreed that it's not obligatory for a born left handler to change hand while eating or drinking. - Qawaid al Fiqhiyyah - Legal Maxims No 3, Hardship begets facility (http://ilmuislamuallaf.blogspot.com/…/qawaid-al-fiqhiyyah-l…)

Wallahu'alam

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