HOW TO SIT WHEN EATING -SHAIKH AL-ALBANI

Question: Is there a hadith about the way to sit when eating food?

Answer: “There is. It is to sit erect upon the heels or to raise one foot and lay the other foot flat [and sit on it] taken from his statement sallahu alayhi wa salam:

إنما أنا عبد أكل كما يأكل العبد وأجلس كما يجلس العبد
Verily I am a servant. I eat like how a servant eats and I sit like how a servant sits”
[Graded Saheeh by Al-Albani in Saheeh Jami no. 7]

[Taken from Silsaltul Huda wa-nur no. 184 found here: http://www.alalbany.net/983 ]

Translated by

Faisal ibn Abdul Qaadir ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan

al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad said:

“Whoever limits his speech to be in accordance with his actions will (surely) lessen his speech on that which doesn’t concern him.”

[Kitab Al-Adhkaar, by An-Nawawi]

Al-Hasan Al-Basree said:

“If a man sits amongst people, and they perceive him to be ignorant, when in fact he is not ignorant, then this is truly the Muslim who possesses understanding (of the Religion).”

[The Book Of Knowledge, by Imaam Aboo Khaithama An-Nisaa’ee, #131]

Al-Qaasim Ibn Muhammad, the grandson of Abu Bakr, said:

“In my time the people were not impressed by speech, they were impressed by actions. Anyone can say whatever he wants.”

[Abu Daawood, Kitaab Al-Zuhd, p.354]

Muhammad Ibn Sireen said:

“I have never envied anyone over anything: if a person is going to be in the Fire, how could I envy him over some worldly matter when he is destined for the Fire? And if he is going to Paradise, how could I be envious of a man of Paradise with whom Allâh tabâraka wa ta’âlâ is pleased?”

[Abu Bakr Al-Daynooree, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawaahir Al-‘Ilm, 2931]

A man once asked Abu Al-Dardaa’ for advice, so he said:

“Remember Allaah in good times and He will mention you in hard times. When you remember those who have passed away, consider yourself like one of them. And when you think of involving yourself in some worldly matter, consider first what it will lead to in the end.”

[Al-Dhahabî in Siyar A’laam Al-Nubalaa’, under the biography of Aboo Al-Dardaa’]

Imaam Ahmad said:

“We believe that Allaah is above His Throne however He wishes and in whatever way He wishes, without any specific way or a description that a person can understand or describe. Knowledge of the Attributes of Allaah has come from Him, and they are established for Him (as His true Attributes). He is as He described Himself: “No vision can grasp Him.” [6:103]“

[Dar’ut Ta’aarudul ‘Aql Wan Naql, by Ibn Taymiyyah,  2/30]

Abu Qilaabah (d.140H) said:

“Do not sit with the people of innovation, because I do not feel secure that they will not drown you in their misguidance and make part of what you used to know, unclear to you!” [Bayhaqee in Al-I’tiqaad; Abdullah ibn Ahmed in As-Sunnah]