Like every other action of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), his eating habits were in accordance with his unparalleled wisdom. He did not cause hardship for anyone during meals and did not have a dislike for certain foods. He did not sit cross-legged or lean while eating. He would either sit on his knees or place his left leg under him and eat with his right leg raised.
He did not always sit in the same manner; sometimes, he would place a cushion on the right or left side and lean on it. However, he prohibited leaning while eating to reject the custom of ignorance. He would say, "I do not eat while leaning." (al-Bukhari, At’ima 13) Thus, while leaning on the right or left side is Sunnah, eating while leaning on a pillow or something else is disliked.
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not eat from high tables or from bowls with broken edges. He did not like to eat alone. He did not have a special bowl for himself; others would also eat from the same bowl. He did not show any superiority over his servants, male or female, in eating, drinking, dressing, or sitting.
He did not criticize or dislike any permissible food. He would start eating the available food with "Bismillah" and eat with three fingers. After eating, he would lick his fingers and recite the prayer, "Praise be to Allah who fed us, gave us drink, and made us Muslims ." After getting up from the table, he would wash his hands and face with the remaining water and encourage his companions to lick their fingers and clean their plates.
The foods he ate included lamb, roasted meat, dried meat, chicken, squash, squash soup, honey, halva, a dish made from roasted flour called sawiq, dried yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, fresh dates, and dried dates. He would eat different types of food at different times.
He did not eat fish with milk, sour things with milk, two cold foods together, roasted meat with cooked meat, dried meat with fresh meat, milk with meat, milk with eggs, or any two items that caused harm when eaten together. He said that extremely hot food lacked blessings and did not eat it until it cooled down.
Among foods, he preferred meat. He said, "Meat strengthens hearing and is the master of foods in this world and the hereafter." (Ibn Majah, At’ımah 3305) He liked the shoulder and back parts of animals permissible to eat, saying, "These parts of the meat are very good and delicious." He did not like onions and garlic, nor did he eat them, and he disliked their smell. Among fresh fruits, he preferred grapes and watermelon the most.
His Drinking Habits
As with everything else, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had a specific way of drinking water. Drinking as he did is Sunnah. He would drink Zamzam water while standing and other beverages while sitting. He rarely drank while standing to show that it was permissible. Although drinking while standing is permissible, it is better to sit while drinking all other beverages except Zamzam.
Whenever he drank water or any other beverage, he would take three breaths, starting with "Bismillah" and finishing with "Alhamdulillah." He liked cold and sweet water. When offering drinks to those present, he would sometimes drink first and sometimes last. He advised drinking water in sips and taking breaks, not blowing into the drinking vessel, and looking into the water to avoid harmful things.
