What is the ruling on eating and drinking with the left hand, and is it forbidden?
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The questioner : Regarding eating with the left hand.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Is it forbidden, or is the issue a matter of scholarly disagreement?
The Shaykh : Eating with the left hand for a valid excuse is permissible; eating with the left hand for a valid excuse is permissible.
As for doing so without a valid excuse, it is forbidden, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it and said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1799Sahih (Darussalam) And Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nur 24:21].
Moreover, Satan rejoices; he rejoices when you eat with your left hand, because you are following him and opposing the Messenger (peace be upon him). Do you realize that this matter is not trivial? If you eat with your left hand or drink with your left hand, Satan rejoices even more than he does over the act itself, because you have agreed with him and opposed the Messenger (peace be upon him) in his verbal and practical guidance.
So the matter is not trivial. Therefore, 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 we will dirty the cup." The cup has become, in most cases, paper, so you do not drink from it afterward; let it get dirty. Then, it is possible to hold it even if it is made of glass; you can hold it at the bottom, between the index finger and the thumb, and drink.
Then, suppose that neither of these options is possible and it gets dirty; it is washed, because as long as you know that it is forbidden and that you are incurring sin by drinking from it, 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 the palm of his right hand and holds it with his left hand, if the need calls for it. But I have not seen the need call for this. I have tried it myself; I hold the cup from the bottom, and it does not get dirty on the ground. Then, if it does get dirty, wash it; the washing takes five extra minutes and removes it. The matter is easy.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : 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 : Yes.
The questioner : Is there a view among some scholars that it is permissible?
The Shaykh : Some scholars consider it disliked.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Is it forbidden, or is the issue a matter of scholarly disagreement?
The Shaykh : Eating with the left hand for a valid excuse is permissible; eating with the left hand for a valid excuse is permissible.
As for doing so without a valid excuse, it is forbidden, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it and said:
for indeed Ash-Shaitan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand
إن الشيطان يأكل بشماله ويشرب بشمالهO 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 وَالْمُنْكَرِMoreover, Satan rejoices; he rejoices when you eat with your left hand, because you are following him and opposing the Messenger (peace be upon him). Do you realize that this matter is not trivial? If you eat with your left hand or drink with your left hand, Satan rejoices even more than he does over the act itself, because you have agreed with him and opposed the Messenger (peace be upon him) in his verbal and practical guidance.
So the matter is not trivial. Therefore, 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 we will dirty the cup." The cup has become, in most cases, paper, so you do not drink from it afterward; let it get dirty. Then, it is possible to hold it even if it is made of glass; you can hold it at the bottom, between the index finger and the thumb, and drink.
Then, suppose that neither of these options is possible and it gets dirty; it is washed, because as long as you know that it is forbidden and that you are incurring sin by drinking from it, 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 the palm of his right hand and holds it with his left hand, if the need calls for it. But I have not seen the need call for this. I have tried it myself; I hold the cup from the bottom, and it does not get dirty on the ground. Then, if it does get dirty, wash it; the washing takes five extra minutes and removes it. The matter is easy.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : 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 : Yes.
The questioner : Is there a view among some scholars that it is permissible?
The Shaykh : Some scholars consider it disliked.