FOOD
BEFORE EATING
1. بِسْمِ اللهِ.
In the Name of Allah.
Bismi-llāh.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When one of you eats, he should mention Allah’s name.” (Abu Dawud 3767, Tirmidhī 1858)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When a man enters his house and remembers Allah upon entering and before eating, Shaytān says (to his fellow shaytān): ‘There is no place for you to spend the night and there is no supper for you.’ When he enters the house and does not remember Allah, Shaytān says: ‘You have found a place to spend the night.’ When he does not remember Allah before eating his food, Shaytān says: ‘You have found a place to stay and some supper.’” (Muslim 2018)
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was eating food with six of his Companions when a Bedouin came and ate it all in two bites. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: ‘If he had taken Allāh’s Name (bismillah), it would have sufficed you (all).” (Aḥmad 25535)
If one forgets at the beginning:
2. بِسْمِ اللهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ.
In the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of it.
Bismi-llāhi awwalahū wa ākhirah.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When one of you eats, he should mention Allah’s name; if he forgets to mention Allah’s name at the beginning, he should say [the above].” (Abu Dawud 3767, Tirmidhī 1858)
Umayyah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting whilst a man was eating food. That man did not mention the Name of Allah until only a morsel of food was left. When he raised it to his mouth, he said [the above]. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ smiled at this and said: “Shaytān had been eating with him but when he mentioned the Name of Allah, Shaytān vomited all that was in his stomach.” (Abū Dāwūd 3768)
AFTER EATING
3. اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِيْ أَطْعَمَنِيْ هٰذَا ، وَرَزَقَنِيْهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّيْ وَلَا قُوَّةٍ.
Praise be to Allah who has fed me this and provided me with it without any power and might from me.
Alḥamdu-lillāhi-l-ladhī aṭʿamanī hādhā wa razaqanīhi min ghayri ḥawlim-minnī wa lā quwwah.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whosoever eats food and says [the above] at the end, all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Abū Dāwūd 4023 Tirmidhī 3458, Ibn Mājah 3285)
4. اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ حَمْدًا كَثِيْرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيْهِ ، غَيْرَ مَكْفِيٍّ وَلَا مُوَدَّعٍ ، وَلَا مُسْتَغْنًى عَنْهُ رَبَّنَا.
Allah be praised with an abundant beautiful blessed praise, a never-ending praise, a praise which we will never bid farewell to and an indispensable praise, our Lord.
Alḥamdu-lillāhi ḥamdan kathīran ṭayyibam-mubārakan fīh, ghayra makfiyyiw-wa lā muwaddaʿiw-wa lā mustaghnan ʿanhu rabbanā.
Abu Umamah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrated that when the table spread would be lifted from in front of him, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say [the above]. (Composite: Bukhārī 5458, Tirmidhī 3456)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Indeed Allah is pleased with the servant who praises Him when he eats and praises Him when he drinks.” (Muslim)
5. اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِيْ أَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَجَعَلَنَا مُسْلِمِيْنَ.
All praise is for Allah, who has fed us and given us drink and made us Muslims. (Tirmidhī)
Alhamdu-lillāhi-l-ladhī aṭʿamanā wa saqānā wa jaʿalanā muslimīn.
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to eat or drink, he would say [the above]. (Abū Dāwūd 3850, Tirmidhī 3547)
6. اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيهِ وَأَطْعِمْنَا خَيْراً مِنْهُ
O Allah, bless us in it and feed us that which is better than it. (Tirmidhī)
Allāhumma bārik lanā fīhi wa aṭʿimnā khayran minh.
Ibn Abbās (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhuma) narrated: “I entered with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I and Khālid bin Al-Walid, upon Maimunah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhā) so she brought us a vessel of milk. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ drank from it, I was upon his right and Khālid was upon his left, so he said to me: ‘The (turn to) drink is for you, so if you wish, you could choose to grant it to Khalid.’ So I said: ‘I would not prefer anyone other than myself for your leftovers.’ Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Whoever Allah feeds some food, then let him say [the above].'” (Tirmidhī 3455)
AFTER DRINKING MILK
7. اَللّٰهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيْهِ وَزِدْنَا مِنْهُ.
O Allah, bless us in it and give us more of it. (Tirmidhī)
Allāhumma bārik lanā fīhi wa zidnā minh.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whomsoever Allah gives milk to drink, then let him say [the above].” And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘There is nothing that suffices in the place of food and drink except for milk.’” (Tirmidhī 3455)
DU‘Ā’ FOR THE HOST
8. أَفْطَرَ عِنْدَكُمُ الصَّائِمُوْنَ ، وَأَكَلَ طَعَامَكُمُ الأَبْرَارُ ، وَصَلَّتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ.
May the fasting open their fasts with you, the pious eat your food, and the angels pray for blessings on you.
Afṭara ʿindakumu-ṣ-ṣāimūn, wa akala ṭaʿāmakumu-l-abrār, wa ṣallat ʿalaykumu-l-malā’ikah
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to visit Sa’d ibn Ubaydah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu), and he brought bread and olive oil, and he ate (them). Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said [the above]. (Abū Dāwūd 3854, Ibn Mājah 1747)
Jābir (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrated that Abū al-Haytham ibn at-Tayyihān made some food for the Prophet ﷺ. He invited the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions. When they had finished, [the Prophet ﷺ] said: “Repay and reward your brother.” “O Messenger of Allah, what is his reward?” they asked. He replied: “When a man’s house is entered, his food eaten, his drink is drunk, and then they supplicate for him, that is his reward and repayment.” (Abū Dāwūd 3853)
9. اَللّٰهُمََّّ بَارِكْ لَهُمْ فِيْ مَا رَزَقْتَهُمْ ، وَاغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَارْحَمْهُمْ.
O Allah, bless them in what You have provided them, forgive them and have mercy upon them.
Allāhumma bārik lahum fī mā razaqtahum, wa-ghfir lahum, wa-rḥamhum.
‘Abdullah bin Busr (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhuma) reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came as a guest to my father. We brought him food and a waterskin with milk and he ate from it. Then he was brought dates, and he ate one of them, placed the date-stone between his fingers, and put his index and middle fingers together. Then he was brought a drink and he drank. After that he passed it to the person on his right. He (the narrator) said: My father took hold of the rein of his riding animal and requested him to supplicate for us. Thereupon he said [the above].” (Muslim 2042)
AFTER OPENING A FAST
10. ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ ، وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوْقُ ، وَثَبَتَ الْأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ.
The thirst has gone, the veins have been moistened, and the reward has been secured, if Allah wills.
Dhahaba-ẓ-ẓama’, wa-b-tallati-l-ʿurūq, wa thabata-l-ajru in shā’a-llāh.
Abdullah ibn Umar (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhuma) said the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said [the above] when he broke his fast. (Abū Dāwūd 2357)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The deeds of the people are presented (to Allah) on Mondays and Thursdays. So I like that my actions be presented whilst I am fasting.” (Tirmidhī)
And He ﷺ said: “Fasting three days of each month is equivalent to fasting for a lifetime. The days of al-Bīdh are: the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.” (Nasā’ī)
11. اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ صُمْتُ وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ.
O Allah, for You I have fasted, and with Your provision I have broken my fast.
Allāhumma laka ṣumtu wa ʿalā rizqiqa afṭart.
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ broke his fast he would say [the above]. (Abū Dāwūd 2358)
