Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

in the name of allah the most gracious the most merciful

all prais belongs to allah we prais him and we aske help of him and we aske forgiveness of him .

answer

we should say BISMILLA befor starting of any act .beacuse it is sunnah of the prophet and befor starting food we should say BISMILLAH WA ALLA BARKATILLAH.one should say BISMILLA AWALLAHU WAKHIRAHU if forget inthe starting .

saying BISMILLA for each luqma is not stated any hadith.

only allah has correct knowledge .

As Salam O Alaikum

While starting any act its good to say 'BISMILLAH' first. While starting to eat food also its good to say 'BISMILLAH' & the dua 'BISMILLAHI WA'ALA BARKATULLAH'. One of my friend's friends says BISMILLAH before each bite (Lukma or Niwallah as we say in Urdu) of food. Is it good or is this Bid'aa & Pls show the correct way of eating.

Salam

Imran

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Dua when eating

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: While starting any act its good to say 'BISMILLAH' first

It is indeed a preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and an etiquette and extension of one’s belief that when one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day starts the doing of anything good, he/she starts that deed in the Blessed Name of their Lord and Creator, Allah Subhanah.

Your Statement: While starting to eat food also its good to say 'BISMILLAH' & the dua 'BISMILLAHI WA'ALA BARKATULLAH'.

There are several supplications related in the authentic and established Sunnah, whereby the Messenger of Allah (saws) would make a supplication to Allah Subhanah before he (saws) started his meal and when he (saws) finished his meal. If one says the supplications which are endorsed in the Sunnah it would obviously be best; but if one simply says ‘Bismillah’ when one starts one’s meal, and declares ‘Alhamdolillah’ when one ends one’s meal, that too would suffice.

Al-Muwatta Hadith 49.32

Yahya related from Malik from Abu Nuaym that Wahb ibn Kaysan said, "The Messenger of Allah (saws) was brought food while his stepson Umar ibn Salama was with him. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said to him, 'Say "Bismillah," and eat what is in front of you.'”

Al-Muwatta Hadith 49.34

Yahya related from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father never brought food or drink, nor even a remedy which he ate or drank but that he said, "Praise be to Allah who has guided us and fed us and given us to drink and blessed us. Allah is greater. O Allah! We have found Your blessing with every evil, give us every good in the morning and evening. We ask You for its completion and its gratitude. There is no good except Your good. There is no god other than You, the Lord of the righteous, and the Lord of the Worlds. Praise be to Allah. There is no god but Allah. What Allah wills. There is no power except in Allah. O Allah! Bless us in what You have provided us with and protect us from the punishment of the Fire!"

(Al-hamdu lillahi-lladhi hadana wa at amana wa saqana wa naamana. Allahu akbar. Allahumma'l fatna nimatik bi-kulli sharr. Fa asbahna minha wa amsayna bi-kulli khayr. Nasaluka tamamaha wa shukraha. La khayr illa khayruk. Wa la ilaha ghayruk. Ilaha'-saliheen wa rabba'l-alameen. Al-hamdu lillah. Wa la ilaha illa'llah. Ma sha'Allah. Wa la quwwata illa billah. Allahumma barik lana fima razaqtana. Waqina adhaba'n-nar.)

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3842 Narrated by Abu Ayyub al-Ansari

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) ate or drank, he said: "Praise be to Allah Who has given food and drink and made it easy to swallow, and provided an exit for it.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4012 Narrated by Mu'adh ibn Anas

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘If anyone eats food and then says: "Praise be to Allah Who has fed me with this food and provided me with it through no might and power on my part," he will be forgiven his former and later sins.

Your Question: One of my friend's friends says BISMILLAH before each bite (Lukma or Niwallah as we say in Urdu) of food. Is it good or is this Bid'aa & Pls show the correct way of eating.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzab verse 21:

There is indeed the best example for you to follow in the Messenger of Allah, for every such person looks forward to Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.

There is no human being who ever walked on this planet earth who loved Allah Subhanah more, or worshipped the Lord more, or Remembered, Praised and Glorified Allah Subhanah more than the noble self of the Last and Final Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws); so much so that Allah Subhanah Himself Declares and Commands the believers who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day to follow the example of this Noble Messenger (saws) in all their acts of worship.

To the best of our knowledge, there is absolutely no evidence in the authentic and established Sunnah that the Messenger of Allah (saws) would declare ‘Bismillah’ at every morsel (or lukma) of his meal! Allah is our witness brother, if such an act was pleasing, acceptable, or meritorious in the Sight of Allah Subhanah, the Messenger of Allah (saws) would have surely done it.

Allah and His Messenger (saws) have made the following of the deen easy for the believers, and it would more than suffice for one to make a supplication and start his meal with the declaration of ‘Bismillah’ and end the meal with a declaration of gratitude or ‘Alhamdolillah’.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan