74/19. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5620 — Right-Side Drinking Etiquette
The permission of the one on right to give the drink to an elder person first
Hadith About Drinking From the Right: Respect and Fairness
Sahih Bukhari : 5620
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5620
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أُتِيَ بِشَرَابٍ فَشَرِبَ مِنْهُ، وَعَنْ يَمِينِهِ غُلاَمٌ وَعَنْ يَسَارِهِ الأَشْيَاخُ. فَقَالَ لِلْغُلاَمِ " أَتَأْذَنُ لِي أَنْ أُعْطِيَ هَؤُلاَءِ ". فَقَالَ الْغُلاَمُ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لاَ أُوثِرُ بِنَصِيبِي مِنْكَ أَحَدًا. قَالَ فَتَلَّهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي يَدِهِ.
Sahl bin Sa`d Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was offered something to drink. He drank of it while on his right was a boy and on his left were some elderly people. He said to the boy, "May I give these (elderly) people first?" The boy said, "By Allah, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I will not give up my share from you to somebody else." On that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) placed the cup in the hand of that boy.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5620In-book reference : Book 74, Hadith 46USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 69, Hadith 524
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5620
This Hadith is about drinking etiquette in Islam and the right-side order when sharing a drink. Allah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) drank, while a boy was on his right and elderly people were on his left. He did not ignore the boy’s place. Instead, he asked the boy for permission before giving the elders first. The boy wished to keep his share from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) placed the cup in his hand. The clear message is simple: manners are not only about age; they also include fairness, asking permission, and giving people their proper turn. This makes the Hadith about drinking from the right easy to apply in daily gatherings.
What we learn from this hadith
- The person on the right has a recognized turn when a drink is shared.
- Respect for elders does not remove another person’s rightful share.
- Asking permission is part of good Islamic manners.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) honored even a young boy’s choice.
