Prohibition of eating with the left hand except for a valid excuse
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Is eating with the left hand forbidden, or is this a matter of scholarly disagreement?
Eating with the left hand for a valid excuse is permissible, but without a valid excuse it is forbidden; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it and said: (Indeed, Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand),And Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nur: 21], and moreover, Satan rejoices when you eat with your left hand; because you are following him and opposing the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
This matter is not trivial! If you eat with your left hand or drink with your left hand, Satan rejoices even more than if it were merely an action; he rejoices that you agreed with him and opposed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in his words and deeds. Therefore, this matter is not trivial, and for this reason, it is obligatory for students of knowledge to alert the general public to this.
We find many people who, when eating, drink with their left hand, saying: We fear that the cup will get dirty. The reality is that most cups nowadays are made of paper, and no one drinks from them after you. Leave it to get dirty. Also, it is possible to hold it, even if it is made of glass, by holding it at the bottom between the index finger and the thumb and drinking. Then, if neither of these is possible and it gets dirty, wash it. It is not a problem; because as long as it is known that it is forbidden and that drinking with it incurs sin, the forbidden is not permissible except out of dire necessity.
The questioner: And if he holds it with his left hand and places it on his right hand?The Shaykh: If the need calls for it, there is no harm. If he places it on his right palm and holds it with his left hand if the need calls for it. But I have not seen the need call for that. I have tried it myself; I hold the cup from the bottom and it does not get dirty at all. And if it does get dirty, it remains for five minutes and washing removes it. The matter is easy. Likewise, taking and giving with the left hand, this is also contrary to the Sunnah and has been prohibited.
The questioner: But is there a view among the scholars that it is permissible?The Shaykh: Some scholars consider it disliked, but my brother! I advise you and others, if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says something, do not say: Did some scholars say? The scholars issue rulings based on understanding. If the evidence reaches them, they may err in understanding, or the evidence may not reach them, and perhaps the evidence is hidden. Did not the hadith of the plague remain hidden from all the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)? When 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) approached Sham, he was told: There is a plague in Sham. So he stopped and began to consult the Companions, bringing the Muhajireen and Ansar to consult them separately, and none of them knew of the hadith. But, praise be to Allah, Allah guided them to the truth, which is to return rather than proceed. And 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) was the one who narrated the hadith, but he was absent on business. So he came and informed them of it. This hadith was hidden from all the Companions, despite the fact that they were a limited group. How then, after the spread of the Ummah and the scholars? !! Therefore, we should not oppose the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) by saying: Is there disagreement? Did not some scholars say such and such? If the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us: (None of you should eat with his left hand, nor drink with his left hand; for Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand), the matter is concluded.If you were to choose any believer: Do you prefer the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), or the steps of Satan? What do you say?He says: The guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
The questioner: O esteemed Shaykh, my intention is that some people attribute to some scholars the view that it is not forbidden, so I want to be sure?The Shaykh: This is good,And Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: [Soon stones from the sky will fall upon you,I say: The Messenger of Allah said, and you say: Abu Bakr and 'Umar said], and who are the scholars in the time of Abu Bakr and 'Umar?And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said about them: (If they obey Abu Bakr and 'Umar, they will be guided) and he said: (Follow the two after me: Abu Bakr and 'Umar) It is explicitly stated to take their opinion. So if Abu Bakr and 'Umar opposed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and we took their word, stones from the sky would soon fall upon us. How then about taking the word of others?!! And truly, it pains me greatly when someone says, for example, when I tell him: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said such and such,He said: There is disagreement. The one who disagrees may be excused for opposing the text due to his interpretation, or his lack of knowledge. But I am not excused. And the excuse of the one followed does not excuse the follower.
Eating with the left hand for a valid excuse is permissible, but without a valid excuse it is forbidden; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it and said: (Indeed, Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand),And Allah the Exalted said:
O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan - indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ وَمَنْ يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِThis matter is not trivial! If you eat with your left hand or drink with your left hand, Satan rejoices even more than if it were merely an action; he rejoices that you agreed with him and opposed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in his words and deeds. Therefore, this matter is not trivial, and for this reason, it is obligatory for students of knowledge to alert the general public to this.
We find many people who, when eating, drink with their left hand, saying: We fear that the cup will get dirty. The reality is that most cups nowadays are made of paper, and no one drinks from them after you. Leave it to get dirty. Also, it is possible to hold it, even if it is made of glass, by holding it at the bottom between the index finger and the thumb and drinking. Then, if neither of these is possible and it gets dirty, wash it. It is not a problem; because as long as it is known that it is forbidden and that drinking with it incurs sin, the forbidden is not permissible except out of dire necessity.
The questioner: And if he holds it with his left hand and places it on his right hand?The Shaykh: If the need calls for it, there is no harm. If he places it on his right palm and holds it with his left hand if the need calls for it. But I have not seen the need call for that. I have tried it myself; I hold the cup from the bottom and it does not get dirty at all. And if it does get dirty, it remains for five minutes and washing removes it. The matter is easy. Likewise, taking and giving with the left hand, this is also contrary to the Sunnah and has been prohibited.
The questioner: But is there a view among the scholars that it is permissible?The Shaykh: Some scholars consider it disliked, but my brother! I advise you and others, if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says something, do not say: Did some scholars say? The scholars issue rulings based on understanding. If the evidence reaches them, they may err in understanding, or the evidence may not reach them, and perhaps the evidence is hidden. Did not the hadith of the plague remain hidden from all the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)? When 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) approached Sham, he was told: There is a plague in Sham. So he stopped and began to consult the Companions, bringing the Muhajireen and Ansar to consult them separately, and none of them knew of the hadith. But, praise be to Allah, Allah guided them to the truth, which is to return rather than proceed. And 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) was the one who narrated the hadith, but he was absent on business. So he came and informed them of it. This hadith was hidden from all the Companions, despite the fact that they were a limited group. How then, after the spread of the Ummah and the scholars? !! Therefore, we should not oppose the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) by saying: Is there disagreement? Did not some scholars say such and such? If the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us: (None of you should eat with his left hand, nor drink with his left hand; for Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand), the matter is concluded.If you were to choose any believer: Do you prefer the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), or the steps of Satan? What do you say?He says: The guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
The questioner: O esteemed Shaykh, my intention is that some people attribute to some scholars the view that it is not forbidden, so I want to be sure?The Shaykh: This is good,And Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: [Soon stones from the sky will fall upon you,I say: The Messenger of Allah said, and you say: Abu Bakr and 'Umar said], and who are the scholars in the time of Abu Bakr and 'Umar?And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said about them: (If they obey Abu Bakr and 'Umar, they will be guided) and he said: (Follow the two after me: Abu Bakr and 'Umar) It is explicitly stated to take their opinion. So if Abu Bakr and 'Umar opposed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and we took their word, stones from the sky would soon fall upon us. How then about taking the word of others?!! And truly, it pains me greatly when someone says, for example, when I tell him: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said such and such,He said: There is disagreement. The one who disagrees may be excused for opposing the text due to his interpretation, or his lack of knowledge. But I am not excused. And the excuse of the one followed does not excuse the follower.