Question: What are the sunna acts of drinking?
Answer:
Bismi Llahir Rahmanir Rahim
Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuhu
The proper mannerisms of drinking are:
- To look inside the cup before drinking to make sure it is safe.
- To hold the cup with the right hand.
- To say Allah’s name “bismiLlah” before beginning to drink.
- To drink in small sips and not in large gulps.
- To not breathe into the cup but to pull the cup away from the mouth in-between sips.
- To praise Allah “alhamduliLlah” after finishing.
The Companions (Allah be pleased with them) said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would not drink in one gulp but in three breaths. He would take a sip, move the cup away from his mouth, take a breath, and then return the cup to drink again. He ﷺ would repeat these actions three times.
As for drinking while sitting, there are several hadiths about it – some interdicting drinking while standing and others allowing it. Many scholars conclude that it is better to sit whilst drinking, but there is no harm in drinking whilst standing.
Drinking Milk
When drinking milk, the Prophet ﷺ would follow the aforementioned mannerisms and make this supplication at the end:
اللّهُمَّ بَاركْ لنَا فيهِ وَزِدْنَا مِنهُ
Allahumma baarik lana fihi wa zidna minhu
“O’ Allah, bless it for us and give us more.”
Drinking Zamzam
Zamzam water is the purest water on earth. It comes from the zamzam well in Makkah, which was revealed to Sayyidatuna Hajar (Allah be pleased with her) after Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) left her and her son, Prophet Ismail (pbuh), in the desert alone.
Zamzam water is a blessed water that can cure sicknesses, ease the heart, and much more. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The water of Zamzam is for whatever purpose it is drunk for.” [ibn Majah] Thus, one should never refuse zamzam water when it is offered just like one would never reject the good.
Unlike regular water, when drinking zamzam water the etiquette is to stand and face the qibla.
One drinks zamzam to one’s fill and says the following supplication:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا وَرِزْقًا وَاسِعًا وَشِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ
Allahumma inni as’aluka ‘ilman nafi’an wa rizqan waasi’an wa shifaa’an min kulli daa’in
“O Allah, I ask you for beneficial knowledge, plentiful provision and healing from every disease.”
For the sunna actions of eating, read this article: Ten Sunnas Of Eating
Jazak Allah khayran
Naielah Ackbarali
References:
- Imam Ala al-Din Abidin, الهدية العلائية
- Imam Nahlawi, الدرر المباحة في الحظر و الإباحة
- Imam Nawawi, رياض الصالحين