Eating with
three fingers
source:
silsilat ul-hudā wa nnūr ~ the series of guidance and light
~ tape no. 692
Question #6: “Is it sunnah to eat with three fingers
generally with respect to all food or specifically with
tharīd[1] only?”
Shaykh al-Albānī answers:
“There isn’t, in the Sunnah mentioned from the Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وسلم), that which will help us to answer this
question. All that there is, is that the Prophet (صلى الله
عليه وسلم) used to eat with three fingers; but that which is
necessary for us to say about this hadīth with regard to its
fiqh (understanding), is that:
Firstly, this hadīth does not mean to determine that it is
not permissible for the Muslim to eat by other means like
the well-known spoons today. Rather, it only means that if
the Muslim eats a food that can be eaten with three fingers,
then he (should) not show that he is greedy with the food
such that he eats with the whole handful while he is able to
eat like the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used
to eat, with three fingers. Secondly, it is known that gravy
of meat, for example, cannot be eaten with three fingers, so
there it is necessary (to use) other means to eat it. And
this is from the worldly affairs and not from the affairs of
the religion, which the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه
وسلم) was assigned that he conveys all the rulings of the
religion to the people. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has said
(regarding) worldly affairs: ‘You are more knowledgeable
about your worldly affairs than me.’”[2]
~ asaheeha translations ~
[1] a dish of bread, meat and broth
[2] Sahīh aj-Jāmiʽ #1488
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