16 Sunnah of Eating for kids [FREE PRINTABLE]

Sharing is caring!

This is a list of sunnah of eating for kids according to what our prophet (salallahu alaihi wasalam) has taught us. It does not contain all of the sunnah of eating in general, but it contains most of which is applicable to children.

Teach kids about the manners of Eating with this FREE printable

Download “The Manners of Eating” from our free resource library.
Contains activity ideas, posters, flashcard for hadith memorization!

Being a role model

When we teach, children may or may not listen. However, when we do, they will definitely follow insya’Allah.
So, we don’t necessarily need to sit with our children and talk about all the etiquettes of eating and drinking in one sitting. Instead, for them to truly take in all the information and implement it in their lives, they need real-life examples who are practicing these manners. That’s where we come in.

Implementing the Sunnah in ourselves

As I go through all these sunnah of eating again, I realized how many shortcomings I have when it comes to following the way the prophet taught us to eat.

I mean honestly-
How many times have we commented on the food we dislike?
How many times did we eat until our stomachs were full?
How many times do we throw food which is still good into the garbage
How many times do we actually remember to read the do’a after eating?
SubhanAllah, the one that needs to be taught how to eat is not our children, it’s us!

Teaching about the beauty of following the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

Before anything else, teach them to love the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his teachings.

A guide for everything

Tell them that one of the most beautiful things of being is Muslim is having the best example for everything that we do in our lives; from the way we go to eat, sleep or even the way we clean ourselves after using in the washroom.

The sunnah let’s us live the best

Tell them that Allah has sent to us divine guidance so that we can live the best out of this life, not to deprive us. Every form of command and restriction has a benefit on its own, whether we know it or not.

Connecting with the Qur’an and Hadith

Teach them that we use our right hand not because ‘I told you so’, but because our prophet taught us to, and that they can’t eat the non-halal food because Allah tells us in the Qur’an to eat that which is only halal. Mention to them the hadith and verses from the Qur’an if you can.
When children truly understand its purpose, it will stay on with them longer insya’Allah.

Knowing our sources

But then again, how can we possibly tell them what our prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) has taught if we aren’t truly sure ourselves? So that’s the reason why I have compiled this list of sunnah of eating for kids (honestly, for us too), which includes verses from the Qur’an, authentic narrations and also the explanations of scholars.
Be sure to save it insya’Allah!

The comprehensive list of manners of eating for children

 

Before eating

1- Eating that which is good and halal

فَكُلُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَڪُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَـٰلاً۬ طَيِّبً۬ا وَٱشۡڪُرُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمۡ إِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُونَ
So eat of the lawful and good food[] which Allâh has provided for you. And be grateful for the Favour of Allâh, if it is He Whom you worship.

[Surah an-Nahl: 114]

 

2- Washing hands before eating

According to imam al-Baihaqy there is not one sahih (authentic) hadith that talks about the washing of hands before eating, but only hadith which is graded as hassan (sound).

(Adabus Syar’iyyah, 3/212)
Source

 

However, it is recommended to wash the hands to get rid of impurities or anything that can cause any harm, from our hands as the prophet ﷺ has said:

الطهور شطر الإيمان
“Purity is half of faith.”
[Hadith Muslim, source]

 

3- Mentioning the name of Allah

Begin eating with simply saying “Bismillaah”, and if your child forgets, teach them to say the do’a mentioned in the hadith below.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“When one of you eats, he should mention Allah’s name; if he forgets to mention Allah’s name at the beginning, he should say:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ
“In the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of it.”
[Sunan Abi Dawud 3767, graded sahih by shaykh Al-Albani, source]

While Eating

4- Eating with the right hand

Narrated Hafsah, Ummul Mu’minin:
“The Prophet (ﷺ) used his right hand for taking his food and drink and used his left hand for other purposes.”
[Sunan Abi Dawud 32, graded sahih by Shaykh Al-Albani, source]

 

5- Eating that which is nearest to us

Umar ibn Abi Salamah said:
I was a young boy in the care of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and my hand used to wander all over the platter (of food).
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me,
“O young boy, say Bismillaah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is directly in front of you.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5376; Muslim, 2022 source).

 

6- Eating with 3 fingers

‘Abdullah b. Ka’b reported that his father Ka’b narrated to him that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to eat with three fingers and when he had finished (eating), he licked them.
[Sahih Muslim, 2032, source]

“The Sunnah is to eat with three fingers; eating with more than three fingers is a sign of greed and is bad manners, because there is no need for more than three in order to gather up a morsel. If it is necessary to use more than three, because the food is light and cannot be gathered in three fingers, then he may use the fourth or fifth.
See Fath al-Baari, 9/578”
[Source]

 

7- Not criticizing the food

Teach our kids to be grateful with whatever that is served in front of them. If they have no desire for eating, allow them to leave it without criticizing the food.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never expressed disapproval of food; if he desired it, he ate it, and if he disliked it, he left it alone.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 3763, Graded sahih by Al-Albani, source]

 

8- Eating a piece of food that falls on the floor

Jabir reported:I heard Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:
“The Satan is present with any one of you in everything he does; he is present even when he eats food; so if any one of you drops a mouthful he should remove away anything filthy on it and eat it and not leave for the devil..”
[Sahih Muslim 2033, source]

 

9- Finishing the food on the plate

And he commanded us to clean the plate, and said,

‘For you do not know where in your food the blessing is.’
[Narrated by Muslim, 2034 source]

 

10- Sitting upright while eating, and not reclining

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I do not eat whilst I am reclining.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5399)

“Ibn Hajar said: The scholars differed as to what reclining meant. It was said that it means being too comfortable in sitting to eat in whatever manner; or that it meant leaning on one side; or that it meant resting with one’s left arm on the ground…

Ibn ‘Adiyy narrated with a da’eef (weak) isnaad that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) rebuked a man for resting on his left arm when eating.

Maalik said, this is a kind of reclining. I say, this indicates that Maalik regarded as makrooh everything that may be counted as reclining whilst eating, and he did not mention any one specific type thereof.”

(Fath al-Baari, 9/54, source)

 

11- Not blowing or spitting into food and drinks

Narrated Abu Sa’id Al Khudri, “The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited blowing into the drink”
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas. “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited breathing in the vessel, or blowing into it.”

[Hasan, Narrated by at-Tirmidzi (no. 1887 & 1888) See Irwaa-ul Ghaliil (no. 1977) by Shaykh al-Albani, source]

 

12- Sharing and eating food with others

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If you gather together at your food and mention Allah’s name, you will be blessed in it.”
[Sunan Abi Dawud 3764, Graded hassan by Al-Albani source]

 

13- Eating in moderation

“A man does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat enough to keep him alive. But if he must do that, then one-third for his food, one-third for his drink and one-third for his air.”
[Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2380; Ibn Maajah, 3349; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1939]

After Eating

 

14- Licking the fingers before washing hands

Ibn Abbas (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“When one of you eats, he must not wipe his hand till he licks it, or gives it to someone else to lick (such as a wife, husband, etc.).”
[al-Bukhari, 5456) dan Muslim, 2031 (129), source]

 

15- Praising Allah

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Allah will be pleased with His slave who praises Him (ie, says Al-hamdu lillah) when he eats and praises Him when he drinks”.
[Hadith Muslim, source]

Narrated by Abu Umama:
“Whenever the dining sheet of the Prophet (ﷺ) was taken away (i.e., whenever he finished his meal), he used to say:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ، غَيْرَ مَكْفِيٍّ، وَلاَ مُوَدَّعٍ وَلاَ مُسْتَغْنًى عَنْهُ، رَبَّنَا ‏
Allah be praised with an abundant beautiful blessed praise, a never-ending praise, a praise which we will never bid farewell to and an indispensable praise, He is our Lord”
[Sahih al-Bukhari 5458, source]

 

16- Rinsing the mouth

It is mustahab (recommended) to rinse the mouth after eating, because Basheer ibn Yassaar narrated that Suwayd ibn al-Nu’maan told him that they were with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in al-Sahba’ – which is some distance from Khaybar – and the time for prayer came. He called for food, but he did not find anything but some saweeq (barley mush). So he ate some and we all ate with him. Then he called for water and rinsed out his mouth, and then he prayed, and we prayed, and he did not do wudoo’.

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5390 source).

 

Teach kids about the manners of Eating with this FREE printable

Download “The Manners of Eating” from our free resource library.
Contain activity ideas, posters, flashcard for hadith memorization!

Let’s get in touch and receive letters personally written by me straight to your inbox here.

Help to spread goodness by pinning this article to your favourite Pinterest boards!

 

Sharing is caring!