Eating Etiquette

In the will of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to Ali (peace be upon him), he said:

"O Ali, there are twelve qualities that a Muslim man should learn at the dining table: four of them are obligations, four are Sunnah, and four are etiquettes."

As for the obligations, they are: knowing what one eats, saying Bismillah (mentioning Allah's name), expressing gratitude, and being content.

As for the Sunnah, they are: sitting on the left leg, eating with three fingers, eating from what is in front of him, and licking the fingers after eating.

As for the etiquettes, they are: taking small bites, chewing well, avoiding excessive staring at people's faces, and washing the hands before and after eating.