36/18. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2033c — Lick Before Wiping
It is recommended to lick one's fingers and wipe the bowl, and to eat a piece of food that is dropped after removing any dirt on it. It is disliked to wipe one's hand before licking it, because of the possibility that the blessing of the food may be in that remaining part. The Sunnah is to eat with three fingers
Hadith About Licking Fingers After Eating and Food Blessing
Sahih Muslim : 2033c
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2033c
وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ الْحَفَرِيُّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ، رَافِعٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ . مِثْلَهُ . وَفِي حَدِيثِهِمَا " وَلاَ يَمْسَحْ يَدَهُ بِالْمِنْدِيلِ حَتَّى يَلْعَقَهَا أَوْ يُلْعِقَهَا " . وَمَا بَعْدَهُ .
Sufyan Narrated from:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sufyan with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2033cIn-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 176USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 23, Hadith 5045
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2033c
This narration is brief, but its message is clear. It reports the same chain with a slight wording change, and the wording mentions not wiping the hand with a towel until it has been licked or made to be licked. The core topic is food etiquette in Islam. The hadith about licking fingers after eating teaches a simple habit of respect for food. It points the eater away from haste and waste. A person should not rush to clean the hand before taking care of what remains from the meal. The related idea in this same wording is that food may carry blessing in a part a person does not notice. So the Sunnah of eating is not only about how food is taken, but also about how food is valued when the meal is ending.
What we learn from this hadith
- Do not rush to wipe the hand before licking what remains from the meal.
- Food should be treated with care, even at the end of eating.
- Small eating manners can carry spiritual meaning.
- The narration preserves a slight wording difference without changing the main practice.
