the toilet, and food was brought to him, and a man said: O Messenger of Allah, shall I bring you water for wudu? He said (20): "Do I intend to pray?" Narrated by Ibn Mājah (21). It is narrated from Jābir who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came from the mountain pass (shiʿb al-jabal) having finished his need, and we had dates in front of us on a shield (turs) or a buckler (hajafah) (22). We called him, so he ate with us and did not touch water. Narrated by Abū Dāwūd (23). It is narrated from him that he was cutting from the shoulder of a sheep in his hand, then he was called to prayer, so he dropped it from his hand, then stood up and prayed without performing wudu. Narrated by al-Bukhārī (24). There is no harm in cutting meat with a knife, based on this hadith. Muhannā said: I asked Aḥmad about a hadith narrated from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "Do not cut meat with a knife, for it is the deed of the non-Arabs (aʿājim), but rather gnaw it (nahsh); for it is more delicious and wholesome (25)." He said: It is not authentic. He cited as evidence this hadith which we have mentioned.

Section: It is recommended to mention the name of Allah (tasmiyah) when eating, and that one should eat with his right hand from what is directly in front of him, based on what ʿUmar ibn Abī Salamah narrated, who said: I was an orphan under the guardianship of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and my hand used to wander about the platter (sahfah), so the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to me: "O young boy, mention the name of Allah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what..."