ACCOUNT OF HIS MANNER OF EATING FOOD, MAY
ALLAH BLESS HIM
Volume 1, Parts II.84.1
Yazid Ibn Harun and Ishaq Ibn ‘Isa informed us; they said: Hammad
Ibn Salamah informed us on the authority of Thabit al-Bunani; he on the
authority of Shu’ayb Ibn ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Amr; Ishàq Ibn ‘Isa said in his
narration on the authority of his father, he said:
The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, was never observed eating
while reclining; nor could even any two persons walk on his foot steps.
Volume 1, Parts II.84.2Ubaydah Ibn Humayd informed us on the authority of Mansur i. e. Ibn al-Mu
tamir; (second chain) al-Fad1 Ibn Dukayn informed us: Mis’ar
informed us: Both of them (Mansur and Mis’ar) on the authority of ‘Ali
Ibn al-Aqmar; he said:
I heard Abu Juhayfah saying: The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him,
said: I do not eat reclining.
Volume 1, Parts II.84.3
Sa’id Ibn Mansur and Khalid Ibn Khidash informed us; they said: ‘Abd
al-‘Aziz Ibn Muhammad informed us on the authority of Shurayk Ibn
Abi Namir, he on the authority of ‘Ata Ibn Yasar:
Verily Gabriel came down to the Prophet, may Allah bless him, while he
was eating reclining in upper Makkah and (Gabriel) said to him: 0
Muhammad ! are you eating like the kings? The Apostle of Allah, may
Allah bless him, sat down (erect).
Volume 1, Parts II.84.4
‘Attab Ibn Ziyád informed us: Ibn al-Mubarak informed us: Ma’mar
informed us on the authority of al-Zuhri; he said:
It has reached us that an angel, who had never visited the Prophet, may
Allah bless him, before, came to him with Gabriel. The angel said, while
Gabriel was keeping quiet: Verily your Lord has granted you choice
between being a king-Prophet and a Prophet-servant. The Prophet, may
Allah bless him, looked to Gabriel as if to consult him. He (Gabriel) made
a signal to show humility and so the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless
him said: Prophet-servant.
Al-Zuhri said: They believed that the Prophet may Allah bless him,
since he had said this he did not eat reclining till he passed away from the
world.
Volume 1, Parts II.84.5
Hashim Ibn al-Qàsim informed us: Abu Mashar informed us on the authority of Sa'id al-Maqburi, he on the authority of 'Ayishah: That the Prophet, may Allah bless him, said to her: O 'Ayishah ! the mountains of gold would have moved with me if I had so desired: An angel, knot of the fold of whose waist wrapper was equal to the Ka'bah, came to me and said: Verily your Lord greets you and says: You may be a Prophet-king if you like and you may be a Prophet-servant if you like. Gabriel signalled to me: Make yourself humble. Thereupon I said: Prophet-servant. She said: After this the Prophet, may Allah bless him, did not eat reclining, and he used to say: I eat as a servant eats and sit as a servant sits.
Volume 1, Parts II.84.6 Muhammad lbn Mugatil informed us:
Abd Allah Ibn al-Mubarak
informed us; he said reading it (narration) before Ibn Jurayj; he said:
Hisham Ibn ‘Urwah informed us: Verily Ibn Kab Ibn 'Ujrah informed him on the authority of Ka'b Ibn 'Ujrah; he said: I saw the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, eating with three fingers. Hisham said: With the thumb, the index-finger and the middle finger. He said: Then I saw him licking his three fingers when he wanted to clean them. So before cleaning he licked the middle finger then the index finger and then the thumb.
Volume 1, Parts II.84.7 'Attab Ibn Ziyad informed us:
Abd Allah Ibn al-Mubarak informed us:
Yahya Ibn Ayyub informed us: ‘Ubayd Allah Ibn Zahr informed us on
the authority of `Ali Ibn Yazid, he on the authority of al-Qasim, he on the
authority of Abu Umamah, he on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah
bless him; he said:
My Lord offered to me that He would convert the pebbles of Makkah
into gold for me but I said: No ! 0 my Lord ! I want to remain satiated for
one day and to remain hungry on the other and he repeated it thrice or
so. (He added) when I am hungry, I shall implore Thee and when I am
satiated I shall praise Thee and thank Thee.