The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was brought a bowl containing plenty of tharid (broth-soaked bread) and wadak (fat/gravy) (31). We began to eat, and I struck my hand into the areas around it. He said: "O Ikrash, eat from one place, for it is one food." Then we were brought a dish containing various types of fresh dates. The hand of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) moved about the dish, and he said: "O Ikrash, eat from wherever you wish, for it is not of one type." Narrated by Ibn Mājah (32). One should not eat from the top of the tharid, based on what Ibn ʿAbbās narrated from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "If one of you eats food, let him not eat from the top of the dish; rather, let him eat from its bottom, for the blessing descends from its top." And in [another hadith] (33): "Eat from its sides and leave its top, for it will be blessed." Both were narrated by Ibn Mājah (34).
Section: It is recommended to eat with three fingers, and one should not wipe his hand until he has licked it. Muthannā said: I asked Abū ʿAbd Allāh about eating with all the fingers. He leaned toward the use of three fingers, so I mentioned to him the hadith narrated from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he used to eat with his whole palm (35). He did not deem it authentic and did not approve of anything but three fingers. It has been narrated by Kaʿb ibn Mālik, who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to eat with three fingers and would not wipe his hand until he had licked it. Narrated by al-Khallāl with his isnād (36).
(31) Al-wadak: the fat of meat and grease; it is what drips out from that. (32) In: The Chapter on eating from what is near you, from the Book of Food. Sunan Ibn Mājah 2/1089, 1090. It was also recorded by al-Tirmidhī, in: The Chapter on what is narrated regarding mentioning the name of Allah over food, from the Chapters of Food. ʿĀriḍat al-Aḥwadhī 8/40. (33) In A, B, and M: "the hadith". (34) The first hadith, with the wording presented by the author, was recorded by Abū Dāwūd from Ibn ʿAbbās, in: The Chapter on what is narrated regarding eating from the top of the dish, from the Book of Food. Sunan Abū Dāwūd 2/313. He also recorded the second [hadith] from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Busr in the same chapter. As for Ibn Mājah, he recorded the first from Wāthilah ibn al-Asqaʿ al-Laythī, with slight variations in some of its wordings, and recorded the second from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Busr. He also recorded from Ibn ʿAbbās that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "If food is placed, eat from its edge and leave its center, for the blessing descends into its center." See: The Chapter on the prohibition of eating from the top of the tharid, from the Book of Food. Sunan Ibn Mājah 2/1090. (35) Recorded by Ibn Abī Shaybah, in: The Chapter on eating with how many fingers, from the Book of ʿAqīqah. Al-Muṣannaf 8/299, with the wording: "He used to eat with five." (36) It was recorded by Muslim, in: The Chapter on the recommendation of licking the fingers and the bowl... from the Book of Drinks. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 3/1605. And Abū Dāwūd, in: The Chapter on the napkin, from the Book of Food. Sunan Abū Dāwūd 2/329. And al-Dārimī, in: The Chapter on eating with three fingers, from the Book of Food. Sunan al-Dārimī 2/97. And Imām Aḥmad, in: Al-Musnad 6/386.
النَّبِىُّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- بجَفْنَةٍ كثيرةٍ الثَّرِيد والوَدَكِ (٣١)، فأقبلْنَا نأكلُ، فَخَبَطْتُ يدِى فى نواحِيهَا، فقال: "يا عِكْرَاشُ، كُلْ مِنْ مَوْضِعٍ وَاحِدٍ؛ فَإِنَّهُ طَعَامٌ وَاحِدٌ". ثم أُتِينَا بطَبَقٍ فِيه ألْوانُ الرُّطَبِ، فجالتْ يدُ رسولِ اللَّهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- فى الطَّبَقِ، وقال: "يَا عِكْرَاشُ، كُلْ مِنْ حَيْثُ شِئْتَ؛ فَإِنَّهُ غَيْرُ لَوْنٍ وَاحِدٍ". رَواه ابنُ مَاجَه (٣٢). ولا يأكلُ مِن ذِرْوةِ الثَّرِيدِ، لما رَوَى ابنُ عبَّاسٍ، عن النَّبِىِّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، أنَّه قال: "إِذَا أَكَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ طَعَامًا، فَلَا يَأْكُلْ مِنْ أَعْلَى الصَّحْفَةِ، وَلَكن لِيَأْكُلْ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهَا، فإنَّ الْبَرَكَةَ تَنْزِلُ مِنْ أَعْلَاهَا". وفى [حديثٍ آخَرَ] (٣٣): "كُلُوا مِنْ جَوَانِبِهَا، وَدَعُوْا ذِرْوَتَهَا، يُبَارَكْ فِيهَا" رواهما ابنُ مَاجَه (٣٤).
فصل: ويُسْتحَبُّ الأكلُ بالأَصابعِ الثَّلاثِ، ولا يَمسحُ يَدَه حتى يلْعَقَها. قال مُثَنَّى: سألتُ أبا عبدِ اللَّهِ عن الأكلِ بالأَصابعِ كلِّها؟ فذهبَ إلى ثلاثِ أصابعَ، فذكرتُ له الحديثَ الذى يُرْوَى عَنِ النَّبِىِّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، أنَّه كان يأكلُ بكَفِّه كلِّها (٣٥). فلم يُصَحِّحْه، ولم يَرَ إلَّا ثلاثَ أصابعَ. وقد رَوَى كَعْبُ بنُ مالكٍ، قال: كان رسولُ اللَّهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- يأْكُلُ بثلاثِ أصابعَ، ولا يَمْسَحُ يدَه حتى يلْعَقَها. رَواه الخلَّالُ بإسْنادِه (٣٦).
(٣١) الودك: دسم اللحم والشحم، وهو ما يتحلب من ذلك.(٣٢) فى: باب الأكل مما يليك، من كتاب الأطعمة. سنن ابن ماجه ٢/ ١٠٨٩، ١٠٩٠.كما أخرجه الترمذى، فى: باب ما جاء فى التسمية فى الطعام، من أبواب الأطعمة. عارضة الأحوذى ٨/ ٤٠.(٣٣) فى أ، ب، م: "الحديث".(٣٤) الحديث الأول، باللفظ الذى أورده المصنف، أخرجه أبو داود عن ابن عباس، فى: باب ما جاء فى الأكل من أعلى الصحفة، من كتاب الأطعمة. سنن أبى داود ٢/ ٣١٣. كما أخرج الثانى عن عبد اللَّه بن بسر، فى الباب نفسه. أما ابن ماجه، فقد أخرج الأول، عن واثلة بن الأسقع الليثى، باختلاف يسير، فى بعض ألفاظه، وأخرج الثانى عن عبد اللَّه بن بسر، وأخرج عن ابن عباس، أن رسول اللَّه -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- قال: "إذا وضع الطعام، فخذوا من حافته، وذروا وسطه؛ فإن البركة تنزل فى وسطه". انظر: باب النهى عن الأكل من ذروة الثريد، من كتاب الأطعمة. سنن ابن ماجه ٢/ ١٠٩٠.(٣٥) أخرجه ابن أبى شيبة، فى: باب فى الأكل بكم إصبع هو، من كتاب العقيقة. المصنف ٨/ ٢٩٩. بلفظ: كان يأكل بالخمس.(٣٦) وأخرجه مسلم، فى: باب استحباب لعق الأصابع والقصعة. . .، من كتاب الأشربة. صحيح مسلم ٣/ ١٦٠٥. وأبو داود، فى: باب فى المنديل، من كتاب الأطعمة. سنن أبى داود ٢/ ٣٢٩. والدارمى، فى: باب الأكل بثلاث أصابع، من كتاب الأطعمة. سنن الدارمى ٢/ ٩٧. والإمام أحمد، فى: المسند ٦/ ٣٨٦.
