i was eating lunch the other day with a pakistani guy fren. And thats where he mentioned dat, its written somewhere..probably in one of the hadis that we (muslims) are not suppose to eat with anything but our bare hands(fingers).
And he even mentioned dat, after eating..we are also encourage to lick our fingers, ‘na jaane kis finger mein jannat ka taste miljaye’.
i always eat with my hands at home but outside i eat with fork n spoon. What is ur take on this n what do u use to eat?
Re: Hands or cutleries?
Uh its not haram or wrong to not eat with your hands, it IS a Sunnah, but that's abt it, it doesnt mean that if u eat wiht knife and fork its a sin on u....there's no "ur not sposed to do that" or "encouragement to do that...
Re: Hands or cutleries?
Sara is mostly right.
When something is Sunnah, it is, by default, "encouraged".
Re: Hands or cutleries?
And it helps in differentiation from the Non-believers.
Re: Hands or cutleries?
To my understanding, the use of cutlery was introduced into Europe by way of Moorish Spain. So, either way is a 'Muslim' way, as far as I know...but one is definitely Sunnah :)
Re: Hands or cutleries?
^i read on a site that Romans invented cutlery....Allahu Alim.
Re: Hands or cutleries?
Islamically its better to eat ice-cream with a spoon than your hand/fingers....
but definitely better to eat rice with hand than a spoon....
Re: Hands or cutleries?
What about chopsticks? Perhaps if Muhammed had been a traveller he would have been exposed to the way rice had been eaten for thousands of years in China. It seems strange that things not culturally specific to Arabia are not considered "Islamic".
How in the world can eating with your hands have any religious connotation other than it is mimicking the way things were done at the time of revelation?
A religion that isn't myopic in scope or deeply embedded in culture would not call their way of eating 'better in God's eyes'. The Chinese were using chopsticks for thousands of years. If a religion is for all of mankind, they should adopt practices from around the world, not just ones that were culturally specific to once certain time and place.
I imagine it is steeped in tradition, taking the advice of 'follow the ways of the prophet' too literally and just like the beard, a way for Muslims to distinguish themselves from non-Muslims - culturally.
Re: Hands or cutleries?
It is a sunnah definately…i do eat daal chawal with bare hands sometimes 
Re: Hands or cutleries?
What about chopsticks? Perhaps if Muhammed had been a traveller he would have been exposed to the way rice had been eaten for thousands of years in China. It seems strange that things not culturally specific to Arabia are not considered "Islamic".
How in the world can eating with your hands have any religious connotation other than it is mimicking the way things were done at the time of revelation?
A religion that isn't myopic in scope or deeply embedded in culture would not call their way of eating 'better in God's eyes'. The Chinese were using chopsticks for thousands of years. If a religion is for all of mankind, they should adopt practices from around the world, not just ones that were culturally specific to once certain time and place.
I imagine it is steeped in tradition, taking the advice of 'follow the ways of the prophet' too literally and just like the beard, a way for Muslims to distinguish themselves from non-Muslims - culturally.
Agreed i did ot know that if that a cutlery can differentiate between a religion which is come for entire world or its a false religion. Thats right, i hope you can find all these in the Quran to the muslim brothers and sisters.
Well, it seems like a major problem is there any wrong if we differentiate ourselves from other people, is there let me know. By the way what is your say shall the muslims use cutlery or no.:D
Re: Hands or cutleries?
Why do we muslims get bogged down with the silliest of things and do not pay attention to the important aspects of Islam, like, telling the truth, being honest, be on time, and respect of life. I intentionally left out other major components that we are all well aware of (Namaz, Rooza, Zakat etc)
Re: Hands or cutleries?
I argue this case myself, but you also need to understand that these things do NOT amount to less important aspects of life! You must see that Islam brings the entirety of life under the authority of Allah: civil AND domestic practices. Every culture has (and had) its own laws, but in Islam we believe these come from Allah. Remember that Muhammad :saw: worked as a tradesman. Obviousy people like him believed it right to use correct measurements, not to rip people off, and suchlike. But we believe that Allah decreed these matters (e.g. Allah relating the story of Huzrat Shu‘ayb (as) in surah Hud (11):84 and 84 — “Do not give short measure nor short weight” and “In fairness, give full measure and weight”).
Having said that, you need to take cultural context into account too. In the words of philosopher and critical thinker, the late Jacques Derrida, “Pay the sharpest and broadest attention possible to context” and that “No meaning can be determined out of context”.
Instead of going into complex histories and extrapolating meanings from a variety of sources, let me sum things up simply by saying that the early Arabs didn’t sit at tables to eat, they sat on the floor. Try it yourself: you can hardly use cutlery very effectively while sitting on the floor…
Re: Hands or cutleries?
You must see that Islam brings the entirety of life under the authority of Allah: civil AND domestic practices. Every culture has (and had) its own laws, but in Islam we believe these come from Allah.
As you say, you must take cultural context into account. This culture (or rules) that people extrapolate into sunnah perhaps came from Allah, but through the context of the culture when it was revealed. If Allah had chosen China to reveal his message then the prophet would have been eating with chopsticks. Unless we believe that the culture, eating habits, etc of Arabia were superior to all others, then we have to assume that whatever standards are native to a particular culture (as long as it doesn't conflict with non-cultural laws of Islam) are just as acceptable. I mean we are talking about a practice that is messy and not necessarily sanitary. If God even cares how we eat our food, surely he would prefer we it was clean and sanitary.
Re: Hands or cutleries?
As far i can understand, it should be a Islamized world and not a Arabized world and differences have to cut down here. Because its not worth it we have to get this differences right.
Since this is not the first time Islam, is penetrating other cultures, and there are surely going to be so called differences for eg. now the increase of muslims in US and amongst the westerners, these differences, have to be well defined.
Re: Hands or cutleries?
Umm i haven't got a source on my hands right now. But i remember reading somewhere that eating with hands and then licking the fingers causes an enzyme to be released in your digestive system that helps you digest the food more readily. I'd appreciate it if some more knowledgable guppy can come forward and help me here.
Secondly, its essential you wash your hands before eating. It encourages cleanliness. Islam essentially prefers humbleness and simple life. Cutlery and crockery are not necessaties of life they are luxuries. So perhaps eating with hands is also related to promoting humbleness and simplicity. You know the best thing for a muslim is to have as little worldly goods as possible.
Just my two cents.
Re: Hands or cutleries?
It might have been a luxury in that time period, but a spoon and a fork is not a luxury in most parts of the world. In some, yes it can be to some people. Like maybe in Darfur, I can see it being a luxury. But then, basic things like clean water, are also a luxury to those people. Therefore, should they not be drinking clean water?
Clean cutlery is definitely better than dirty hands, or hands that you think you've cleaned, but there's still some dirt between your nails, etc.
Eating with hands is a very cultural thing. Really has nothing to do with religion. If the prophet did it, its fine. But he also rode on a camel. Then why are you people using cars, and guzzling gas? (Not to mention that for the same gas, wars are now being fought). You'll keep that luxury, but a fork and knife is too much luxury so you avoid them? Doesn't make sense.
Re: Hands or cutleries?
^ 
i am not saying its compulsory. Its a sunnah so that’s a big advantage. Secondly to my understanding, its not like spoons werent present at the time of Prophet saw he preferred eating with hands.
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Yaar the 'some places' make up the third world. If the muslim's in first word could cut back on some luxuries perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.
Re: Hands or cutleries?
Its not compulsory to eat with hands but if you do, you get the reward of Sunnah.
Re: Hands or cutleries?
If the muslims in the developing world stopped fighting each other (ex. Arabs killing off African black muslims in Darfur), and if muslims in developing countries got off their behinds and developed a strong work ethic (like actually opening their stores at 8 or 9 am instead of 1 in the afternoon ... ex. darzis in Karachi), then we wouldn't be dealing with trivial matters like what is a luxury and what is not.