Eating when Leaning Against Something

مَا أَكَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مُتَّكِئاً مُنْذُ بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى أَنْ قَبَضَهُ وَ كَانَ يَأْكُلُ إِكْلَةَ الْعَبْدِ وَ يَجْلِسُ جِلْسَةَ الْعَبْدِ قُلْتُ وَ لِمَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ‌ تَوَاضُعاً لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, never ate while leaning against something from the day Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent him as the Messenger of Allah to the day he passed away. He (the M

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَرَّتِ امْرَأَةٌ بَذِيَّةٌ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ هُوَ يَأْكُلُ وَ هُوَ جَالِسٌ عَلَى الْحَضِيضِ‌[1] فَقَالَتْ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّكَ لَتَأْكُلُ أَكْلَ الْعَبْدِ وَ تَجْلِسُ جُلُوسَهُ فَقَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِنِّي عَبْدٌ وَ أَيُّ عَبْدٍ أَعْبَدُ مِنِّي قَالَتْ فَنَاوِلْنِي لُقْمَةً مِنْ طَعَامِكَ فَنَاوَلَهَا فَقَالَتْ لَا وَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الَّذِي فِي فِيكَ فَأَخْرَج

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Once an indecent woman passed by the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, when he was eating while sitting on the ground. She said, ‘O Muhammad, you eat like a slave and sit like one.’ He (the Mes

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ يَأْكُلُ أَكْلَ الْعَبْدِ وَ يَجْلِسُ جِلْسَةَ الْعَبْدِ وَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ عَبْدٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah (saww) would eat like a slave, sit like one and knew that he was a slave (of Allah).”’

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَأْكُلُ مُتَّكِئاً فَقَالَ لَا وَ لَا مُنْبَطِحاً[2].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who eats leaning backward. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘No, one must not lean forward also.’”

كَانَ عَبَّادٌ الْبَصْرِيُّ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَأْكُلُ فَوَضَعَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَدَهُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَبَّادٌ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ أَ مَا تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص نَهَى عَنْ هَذَا فَرَفَعَ يَدَهُ فَأَكَلَ ثُمَّ أَعَادَهَا أَيْضاً فَقَالَ لَهُ أَيْضاً فَرَفَعَهَا ثُمَّ أَكَلَ فَأَعَادَهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ عَبَّادٌ أَيْضاً فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لَا وَ اللَّهِ مَا نَهَى

“‘Abbad al-Basriy was once with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), while eating, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), placed his hand on the ground. ‘Abbad said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well. Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah prohibited this (manner of sitting).’ He (the Imam) raised his hand, ate, and placed his hand on the grou

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يَأْكُلُ أَكْلَ الْعَبْدِ وَ يَجْلِسُ جِلْسَةَ الْعَبْدِ وَ كَانَ ص يَأْكُلُ عَلَى الْحَضِيضِ وَ يَنَامُ عَلَى الْحَضِيضِ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, would eat like a slave and sit like one. The Messenger of Allah would eat while sitting on the ground and sleep on the ground.’”

سَأَلَ بَشِيرٌ الدَّهَّانُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ أَنَا حَاضِرٌ فَقَالَ هَلْ كَانَ‌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يَأْكُلُ مُتَّكِئاً عَلَى يَمِينِهِ وَ عَلَى يَسَارِهِ فَقَالَ مَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ يَأْكُلُ مُتَّكِئاً عَلَى يَمِينِهِ وَ لَا عَلَى يَسَارِهِ وَ لَكِنْ كَانَ يَجْلِسُ جِلْسَةَ الْعَبْدِ قُلْتُ وَ لِمَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ تَوَاضُعاً لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

“Once Bashir al-Dahhan asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when I was present, saying, ‘Did the Messenger of Allah eat while leaning against something to his right or left?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah never ate while leaning against something on his right or left, he (the Messenger of Allah) however, sat like

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مَا أَكَلَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ص وَ هُوَ مُتَّكِئٌ مُنْذُ بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ كَانَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَتَشَبَّهَ بِالْمُلُوكِ وَ نَحْنُ لَا نَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ نَفْعَلَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Holy Prophet never ate while leaning against something, from the time Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent him as His Messenger. He (the Messenger of Allah) disliked sitting as kings, but we are not able to do so.’”

أَنَّ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كَانَ يَأْكُلُ مُتَرَبِّعاً قَالَ وَ رَأَيْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَأْكُلُ مُتَّكِئاً قَالَ وَ قَالَ مَا أَكَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص وَ هُوَ مُتَّكِئٌ قَطُّ.

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy ibn abu Sha’bah who has said the following: “Ibn abu Ayyub informed me that abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, would eat while sitting in a cross-legged manner. He (the narrator) has said that he saw abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi a

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ إِذَا جَلَسَ أَحَدُكُمْ عَلَى الطَّعَامِ فَلْيَجْلِسْ جِلْسَةَ الْعَبْدِ وَ لَا يَضَعَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِحْدَى رِجْلَيْهِ عَلَى الْأُخْرَى وَ لَا يَتَرَبَّعْ فَإِنَّهَا جِلْسَةٌ يُبْغِضُهَا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ يَمْقُتُ صَاحِبَهَا.

‘When one of you sits for food, he must sit like slaves and must not place one leg over the other or sit in a cross-legged manner; it is the kind of sitting for which Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, hates and abhors one who sits in such manner.’”