Using the right hand while eating and drinking is a sunnah.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used his right hand when eating and drinking, and ate with three fingers of that hand. He would not wipe his fingers before licking them, saying, "You do not know where the blessing lies." Favouring the right side in good deeds is one of the general principles of the sunnah.
What does the hadith say?
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَابْنُ، أَبِي عُمَرَ - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ نُمَيْرٍ - قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ، اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ جَدِّهِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِذَا أَكَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِيَمِينِهِ وَإِذَا شَرِبَ فَلْيَشْرَبْ بِيَمِينِهِ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَأْكُلُ بِشِمَالِهِ وَيَشْرَبُ بِشِمَالِهِ " .
Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:When any one of you intends to eat (meal), he should eat with his right hand. and when he (intends) to drink he should drink with his right hand, for the Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand
Text: Sahih Muslim, hadith no. 5265. Grade: sahih (hadiths in al-Bukhari and Muslim are accepted as sahih).
What is the hadith source of this sunnah?
This sunnah rests on the following hadiths. The reference gives the collection, chapter and number where the hadith appears.
- Muslim, Book of Drinks, 105 (hadith no. 5265)
- Muslim, Book of Drinks, 131 (hadith no. 5297)
- Muslim, Book of Drinks, 136 (hadith no. 5306)
How this page was prepared: sources and verification method.
More sunnahs in Eating & Drinking
As a table with references: Eating & Drinking sunnahs.
- Beginning with Bismillah: Beginning every meal with Bismillah comes first among the sunnahs.
- Drinking While Seated: Drinking water and other drinks while seated is a sunnah of the Prophet.
- Eating in Moderation: Leaving a third of the stomach for food and a third for water is part of the sunnah.
- Praising Allah After Eating: Praising Allah after eating or drinking is gratitude for His blessings.
- Sharing the Meal: Sitting together at the table and sharing increases the blessing.
- Never Criticising Food: Not criticising food is a mark of respect for the blessing of Allah.
- Washing the Hands: Washing the hands after eating is the sunnah of cleanliness at the table.
- Eating from What Is in Front of You: Eating from the side of the plate nearest you is a sunnah of table etiquette.
- Eating Seated on the Floor: Eating seated on the floor, and not eating or drinking standing, is humility reflected in the sunnah.
- Eating the Fallen Morsel: Cleaning and eating a morsel that has fallen is refusing to belittle a blessing.