Mishkat al-Masabih

God’s messenger was brought some bread and meat when he was in the mosque, and he ate and we ate along with him. He then stood up and prayed and we prayed along with him, doing no more than wiping our hands with pebbles. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira told that God’s messenger was brought some meat, and when the foreleg, which was a part he liked, was offered to him he took a bite of it. Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘A’isha reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not cut meat with a knife, for it is a foreign practice, but bite it, for that is more beneficial and wholesome.” Abu Dawud and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, transmitted it, both saying it is not strong.

God’s messenger came in to visit me accompanied by ‘Ali when we had some ripening dates hung up. He began to eat, and ‘Ali along with him, but God’s messenger said to ‘Ali, “Stop, Ali, for you are convalescing.” I then prepared some beetroot and barley for them and the Prophet said, “Take some of this, ‘Ali, for it will be more beneficial for you.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Anas said God’s messenger liked what was at the bottom of the pot.* *Mirqat, iv, 381 has quite a long discussion of the meaning of thufl. It means 'dregs', or 'what sinks to the bottom'. The preference for the meaning in the translation above is said to "be either because what is in the bottom of the pot is cooked longer and so is better than the rest, or because the Prophet liked others to be served first. It is also suggested that here thufl means tharid. Tirmidhi and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, transmitted it.

Nubaisha reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone eats from a dish and licks it, the dish will ask forgiveness for him.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone spends the night with grease on his hand which he has not washed away, he can blame only himself if some trouble comes to him.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said the food God’s messenger liked best was tharid made from bread and tharid made from hais. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Usaid al-Ansari reported God’s messenger as saying, “Eat olive oil and anoint yourselves with it, for it comes from a blessed tree.” Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

The Prophet came in to visit me and asked whether I had anything. When I replied that I had nothing but some dry bread and vinegar he said, “Produce it; a house in which there is vinegar is not devoid of condiments.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

Yusuf b. ‘Abdallah b. Salam said he saw the Prophet take a piece of barley bread and put a date on it. Saying, “This is the condiment of this,” he ate it. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

When I was ill the Prophet came to visit me, and putting his hand between my nipples so that I felt its coolness on my heart, he said, “You are suffering from a heart disease. Go to al-Harith b. Kalada who belongs to Thaqif, for he practices medicine, and get him to take seven of the 'ajwa dates of Medina and pound them together with their stones, then administer them to you.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘A’isha said the Prophet used to eat melon with fresh dates. Tirmidhi transmitted it. Abu Dawud added that he used to say, “The heat of the one is broken by the coolness of the other, and the coolness of the one by the heat of the other.” Tirmidhi said this is a hasan gharib tradition.

Anas told that when the Prophet was brought some old dates he began to examine them and remove the worms from them. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar told that when the Prophet was brought a piece of cheese in Tabuk he called for a knife, and after mentioning God’s name, he cut it. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Salman told that when God’s messenger was questioned about clarified butter, cheese and wild asses he replied, “What is lawful is what God has declared lawful in His Book, what is unlawful is what God has declared unlawful in His Book, and what He has said nothing about belongs to the things He ignores.” Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition which, according to the soundest opinion, is mauquf.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God's messenger as saying, “I wish I had a white loaf made from tawny wheat and softened with clarified butter and milk.” A man who was present rose up and getting one brought it. He asked what it had been in, and when he was told it had been in a lizard skin, he told him to take it away. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Abu Dawud saying this is a tradition which is rejected.

‘Ali said God’s messenger forbade eating garlic unless it was cooked. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Ziyad told that when he asked ‘A’isha about onions she replied that the last food God’s messenger ate was some which contained onions. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

The two Sulami sons of Busr* told that when God’s messenger came in to visit them they offered him butter and dates, for he liked butter and dates. *These are said to have been 'Abdallah and'Atlya. But each is called Mizini. Ibn Abd al-Barr, Ist'iab, p. 67, mentions Busr as-Sulami, saying he is also called al-Mazini. Tahdhib, v, 158 calls ‘Abdallah al-Mazini al-Qaisi and vii, 223 calls 'Atiya al-Mazini al-Hilali. Abu Dawud transmitted it.