Fairytale: As you can see, the commentary is nothing but an interpretation of scholars. What you have said holds true too. Thanks for putting it across.

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The food of one person suffices for two, the food of two persons suffices for four persons, and the food of four persons suffices for eight persons.''
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Commentary: This Hadith indicates that if a few persons share the same dinner-table, a small quantity of food will be enough for many persons. Moreover, this increases mutual love and fellow-feeling.

Hmmm..I didn't interpret it like this. I thought it meant that we should not fill our stomachs and since you are eating less, the food for one could be eaten by two.

No?

A few more :

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) never found fault with food. If he had inclination to eating it, he would eat; and if he disliked it, he would leave it.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith throws light on the Prophet's excellent manners which ought to be followed by all Muslims. It is a deplorable state of affairs that when we find a dish a bit unsavoury, we lose our temper and create quite a scene in the house. May we follow the excellent example of our Prophet (PBUH)!


Abu Juhaifah Wahb bin `Abdullah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "I do not eat reclining (against a pillow).''
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Commentary: What is meant by reclining? There is a difference of opinion on it. Some say that it means leaning on one side, whether right or left, or against the wall. Imam Al-Khattabi takes it in this sense that somebody should lay out a mattress and sit on it comfortably as one sits cross-legged. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to take hardly an adequate meal. Ibn Hajar says that one should sit with the right knee drawn up and the left one bent down.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The food of two persons suffices for three persons, and the food of three persons suffices for four persons.''
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756. Jabir bin `Abdullah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The food of one person suffices for two, the food of two persons suffices for four persons, and the food of four persons suffices for eight persons.''
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Commentary: This Hadith indicates that if a few persons share the same dinner-table, a small quantity of food will be enough for many persons. Moreover, this increases mutual love and fellow-feeling.

Sahl bin Sa`d (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A drink was brought to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and he drank (some) from it. On his right was a boy and on his left were some elderly people. He (PBUH) said to the boy, "Would you permit me to give rest of this drink to these on my left?'' The boy said: "O Messenger of Allah, I would certainly not give preference to anyone in anything that might come to me from you.'' So he (PBUH) handed over the rest of the drink to him.
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Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned earlier. Sheikh Al-Albani says: Some wrongly think that (in order to distribute something) in accordance with the Sunnah, a beginning should be made from an elderly person of the audience. Similarly, the view of Imam An-Nawawi is also not sound that the distribution should begin from his own person and then give it out to the gathering in the right order. Whereas the fact is, as mentioned in the Hadith, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had demanded the drink for himself and, therefore, drunk it first of all. And if the situation is otherwise, the beginning should be made from the right side according to the Sunnah. Neither should the distributor give priority to himself nor to any elderly person from amongst the gathering. Rather, he should begin from the right side and then keep distributing in the serial order. Sheikh Al-Albani, therefore, says that Imam An-Nawawi is wrong to think that the distributor should begin after himself from the right side.

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to breathe three times in the course of a drink (he used to drink in three gulps).
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Commentary: Water should be drunk in three breaths, that is one should breathe three times outside the drinking vessel one is drinking from. This habit has a salutary impact on one's character and helps one avoid doing things in haste.

Sam77: Cupping as in the celebrity craze of putting glass cups on our backs, leaving temporary red marks? It is great for the circulation, but I had no idea it was mentioned in Hadiths! You learn something new every day :P

Great Sam! You seem like my identifical twin when it comes to health and fitness :)

I have more but I"ll have to look for them. I used to have a little booklet and it included hadiths/ayats on practicess such as cupping and other foods such as dates, and olive which are supposed to be great for our health.

Thank you everyone:)

I especially love this Hadith about the 1/3 rule and the one about eating and drinking while sitting. Just following these two can lead to amazing dietary habits. And looking at those being quoted, one wonders about the aspects covered in our religion. Are being proved scientifically now as well. I wish someone (some doctors/scientists) would help me carry out some experiments and further tests on the nutrition values and benefits of the things mentioned in the hadiths.

Please keep adding :)

Thanks for the Hadiths, everyone! Here is one that I've already mentioned in other villages, regarding meat:

Three women came to the Prophet and complained that their husbands were abstaining from meat, perfume and intimate relations with their wives. The Prophet quickly came to the mosque, went on the pulpit and said, "What has happened to some of my companions that they do not eat meat, they do not use perfume and they do not go to their women?! Whereas I eat meat, use perfume and go to my wives. Therefore whosoever dislikes my tradition, then he is not from me." (Wasa'il, Vol. 14, p.4)

I really like the hadith that Mhdslm provided below indicating you should only take from that which is closest to you.

Often when we are eating food and there is a dish infront of us, we will often try to go for the juicy pieces of meat that is on the other side of the dish or we will mix around the dish and ONLY pick out those thing tht we like. That is very rude and we should only take from that food which is closest to us.......

I?m really into health and nutrition so the following are pieces of information that I have gathered together that relate to health and eating habits in Islam:

1.The black seed (aka black cumin, black caraway) is used to treat a variety of ailments.

Huraira narrated that Allah?s Messenger SAW said, ?use this blackseed regularly, because it has a cure for every disease except death.? (Bukhari)

Information that I have gathered about its health benefits include: capacity to reduce inflammation, improve kidney function, improve milk production in nursing mothers, strengthen the liver an increase the body?s resistance against illnesses, as well its potential for treatment of bronchial asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory ailments, and capacity to lower blood pressure and improve heart functions (El Tahir Kamak EH. The respiratory effects of the volatile oil of black seed in guinea pigs and rats; Hanafy MSM, Jatem ME. Studies on the antimicrobial activity of Nigella sativa seed, Journal of ethnopharmacology)

2. Honey is amazing and I?ve already written a short JE on it but here is a hadith about it:

?And your Lord inspired the bee, ?Take for yourself among the mountains, houses (hives), and among the trees and in that which they construct. Then eat from all the fruits and follow the ways of your Lord. There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors in which there is healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for people who give thought? (16:68-69)

3.Pumpkin and Squash are good for the health and help prevent cancer from recent medical research:

In the Quran it describes how Allah SWT provided nourishment for Jonah after he was thrown up by the whale: ?But we cast him forth on the naked shore while he was sick. And we cause a plant of gourd (pumpkin) to grow over him.? (37:145-147)

?A man invited the Prophet SAW. I went with him. We were served soup that contained squash. The Prophet ate it and liked it. When I saw that, I kept passing it to him and I myself have liked squash since then? ( Bukhari and Muslim)

4.Barley is really good for you and if you mix it with milk it is called Talbeena in Arabic.

Aisha used to order talbeena for the sick for those grieving for the deceased. She said, ?I heard the Prophet SAW say, ?Talbeena soothes the heart of the sick and relieves some of the sadness? (Bukhari and Muslim)

The Prophet SAW said, ?Use the hateful but beneficial talbeena. I swear He who bears my soul in His hands that it washes your stomach like water washes dirt from your face.? (Ibn Majah)


In terms of eating habits, there are several ayats/hadiths

1.One should not eat too much :

O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.? (7:31)

The Prophet SAW, said:
The human being has never filled a container worse than his stomach. Hence, it will be sufficient for the son of Adam to satisfy his hunger with few bites to strengthen his backbone. If he must eat to be full, then he should allow for one third food, one third water, and one third air.? (Tirmithi).

The Prophet said: ?The food of one person will be sufficient for two, and the food of two people will be sufficient for four and the food of four will be sufficient for eight?. (Ibn Majah)

2.We are supposed to eat as much variety as possible:

?And the grazing livestock He has created for you; in them is warmth and numerous benefits , and from them you eat.? (16:5)

?And it is He who subjected the sea for you to eat from it tender meat.? (16:14)

?It is He who sends down water from the sky with which He brings up corn, olives , dates and grapes and other fruit? (16:11)

?In cattle too you have a worthy lesson. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, between the chyle and the blood: pure milk, a pleasant beverage for those who drink it.? (16:66)

Fairytale: You are welcome.

Thanks Mhdslm! I am leaving for work. Going to read that later :)

Till then Allah hafiz

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) commanded the licking of fingers and the gleaning of the dish, saying, "You do not know in which portion the blessing lies.''
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Commentary: This Hadith underlines the wisdom behind licking the fingers and the vessel. The eater never knows whether a blessing underlies what has been eaten by him, or the particles sticking to his fingers and vessels contain it. Those particles, therefore, should not be wasted; they should be made part of food by being licked. They may be invested with a blessing and proved more useful for the eater's health and strength. Moreover, by this way he escapes disregarding the Bounty of Allah.


Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) asked for sauce and was told that there was nothing except vinegar. He asked for it and began to eat from it saying, "How excellent is vinegar when eaten as sauce! How excellent is vinegar when eaten as Udm!''
Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith speaks about the simplicity and humility of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) with regard to food. As he abstained from a luxurious lifestyle, he hardly craved for delicious food. No mention of dainties, he would readily eat whatever was available to him.

Abdullah bin Busr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) had a large bowl called Al-Gharra', which would be carried by four men. One day, when the Companions finished their Duha (forenoon optional) prayer, Al-Gharra' was brought full of sopped bread, meat and broth, and they sat down around it. When their number increased, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) sat down on his knees and rested on the soles of his feet. A bedouin said to him: "What sort of sitting is that?'' Thereupon Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Verily, Allah has made me a courteous slave not a fierce tyrant.'' Then he said, "Eat from the sides of the bowl and leave the central part of it so that your food will be blessed.''
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Commentary: Here, too, we are told to eat collectively and from our side of the table. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) calls it the blessed way. There is also a provision for sitting with bent knees (while resting on one's soles). Moreover, the excellence of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) as well as his humility are brought to our knowledge.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "None of you should drink standing; and if any one forgets, he must vomit.''
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Commentary: In the preceding Ahadith, we are told that one can drink water even in a standing position, it is better to eat or drink while seated in order to be on the safe side. Otherwise, the truth of the matter is that one should be cautious enough to eat or drink seated. Doubtless, it is an approved practice. Nowadays, people have made it a habit to eat food at feasts in a standing posture. They argue it is convenient because the whole of the gathering is dealt out at the same time. Yet, they fail to keep in their view the overwhelming disadvantages of this convenience. First, it involves the emulation of western example without any benefit. Second, the Prophet (PBUH) has forbidden it. Third, the indiscipline it spawns hardly befits the social behaviour of a dignified and civilized nation. Fourth, a long wait, tedious and boring normally features feasts and wedding parties. Fifth, in order to make it agreeable and to do away with the boredom of participants, either film songs or musical notes are played on record-players, or jesters and buffoons are brought in to amuse and entertain them. This is all satanic work, forbidden and unlawful, having no place in Islam


Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) prohibited us blowing in the drinking water. A man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Sometimes I see some litter floating about on the surface. What should I do then?'' He (PBUH) replied, "Pour them out.'' Then the man said: "My thirst is not quenched with one draught.'' Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Then put away the cup from your mouth (in between three gulps), and take breath.''
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Commentary: If one sees straw or something like that in the water-vessel, he should not blow in the water. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has forbidden it. Instead, some of the water or all the water should be poured out. Also, if his thirst is not quenched in a single breath, one should remove the vessel from his mouth. After taking breath, he should again drink water. To drink water in three breaths is preferable. However, in case of hot tea or milk, sipping is permissible, no matter if sips are in plenty