Sunnats and Aadaab – Hanafi Mazhab

1. If a drink is being shared by a few people, then after the first person drinks, he should pass the drink to the one who is on his right.

Hazrat Anas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that on one occasion, some milk that was mixed with a little water (to cool the milk) was presented to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). At that time, a Bedouin was seated on the right side of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), while Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was seated on the left side of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). After Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) drank, he passed the utensil to the Bedouin to drink and said, “The one on the right should be given first, and thereafter the one on his right.”

1. When drinking, do not gulp all the contents at once, as this may harm your body. Instead, you should drink in three sips. If the contents are so little that one may drink it in one or two sips, then it is permissible to drink in less than three sips.

DRINKING

There are many sunnats and aadaab (etiquettes) in regard to drinking. Some sunnats and aadaab pertain to the various duas which have been prescribed to be recited before, during and after drinking. Other sunnats and aadaab relate to the manner in which a person should drink.

Apart from this, there are sunnats and aadaab that teach a person the amount of liquid that he should drink at one time in order for him to avoid damaging his health. Hence, drinking in the correct manner is essential, as this will enable one to maintain good health which will assist him in the worship of Allah Ta‘ala.

Duas After Eating

Dua One

All praise is due to Allah Ta‘ala who gave us food and drink and made us Muslims.

1. Do not criticize or find fault with the food.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) never found fault with the food. If he desired eating it, he ate it, and if he was not inclined towards eating it, he left it (without finding fault with it).

1. After eating, thoroughly clean the plate or any other utensil which you are eating from (bowl, etc.). It is reported in the Hadith that the utensil makes dua of forgiveness for the one who cleans it after eating.

2. After eating, lick your fingers. First lick the middle finger, then the index finger, and finally the thumb.

1. If one forgets to recite the dua before eating, then one should recite the following dua when one remembers:

(I commence) in the name of Allah Ta‘ala from the beginning till the end.

Dua One

There is no need to worry, insha-Allah through this sickness, you will be cleansed and purified. (i.e. There is absolutely no need for you to worry or fear. You are merely undergoing a cleansing process. Spiritually, you are being cleansed from your sins, and physically, your body is being cleansed from toxins. Hence, when this sickness has come to you as a mercy in disguise from the side of Allah Ta‘ala, there is no need for you to worry and grieve).

1. It is mustahab to make wudhu before visiting the sick.

Hazrat Anas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “The one who makes a perfect wudhu (i.e. through fulfilling all the sunnah and mustahab acts of wudhu) and sets out to visit his sick Muslim brother with the hope of receiving the rewards for visiting the sick, such a person will be kept a distance of seventy years away from Jahannum.”

Earning the Dua of Seventy Thousand Angels

Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “The one who visits a sick person in the morning, seventy thousand angels invoke Allah’s Ta‘ala mercy for him until the evening, and the one who visits a sick person in the evening, seventy thousand angels invoke Allah’s Ta‘ala mercy for him until the morning, and he will receive a garden in Paradise.”