Imam Maalik مالك بن أنس بن مالك بن أبي عامر · Chapters on Food

“O Messenger of Allah, which (aspect) of Islam is the best?” He said: “Offering food (to the needy) and greeting with Salam those whom you know and those whom you do not know.”

“The believer eats with one intestine and the disbeliever eats with seven intestines.’”

“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 Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘If he had said Bismillah, it would have sufficed you (all). When any one of you eats food, let him say Bismillah, and if he forgets to say Bismillah at the beginning, let him say Bismillah fi awwalihi wa akhirih (In the Name of Allah at the beginning and at…

“When the slave of anyone of you brings his food to him, for which he (the slave) has worked hard and endured heat, let him invite him to eat with him, and if he does not do that then let him take a morsel and put it in his hand.”

“The best food of the people of this world and the people of Paradise is meat.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was never invited to eat meat but he would respond, and he was never offered meat as a gift but he would accept it.”

“Some people were bringing meat to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said: ‘The best meat is the meat of the back.’”

“No leftovers of roast meat* were ever cleared from in front of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and no carpet was ever carried with him.”

“A house in which there are no dates is like a house in which there is no food.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never saw a thin loaf made from well-sifted flour with his own eyes, until he met Allah.”

“Abu Hurairah visited his people, meaning, a village” – I (one of the narrators) think he said: “Yuna” – “And they brought him some of the first thin loaves of bread. He wept and said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never saw such a thing with his own eyes.’”

“One day, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘I wish that we had some white bread made of brown wheat, softened with ghee, that we could eat.’ A man from among the Ansar heard that, so he took some (of that food) and brought it to him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Where was this ghee kept?’ He said: ‘In a container made of mastigure skin.’ And he refused to eat it.”

“Umm Sulaim made some bread for the Prophet (ﷺ), and she put a little ghee on it. Then she said: ‘Go to the Prophet (ﷺ) and invite him (to come and eat).’ So I went and told him: ‘My mother is inviting you (to come and eat).’ So he stood up, and said to the people who were with him: ‘Get up.’ I went ahead of him and told her. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) came and said: ‘Bring what you…