Before Eating

 🍽️ Dua Before Eating

Imagine sitting at the table, hungry, with the aroma of food filling the room. Sometimes we’re so quick to begin that we forget Who provided it. The Prophet ﷺ taught us to pause just for a moment and remember the One who fed us when we couldn’t feed ourselves. That single pause turns a meal into ibadah (worship).

Arabic:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ

Transliteration:

Bismillāh

Translation:

In the name of Allah.

Source:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, 5376; Sahih Muslim, 2022)

Virtue:

The Prophet ﷺ said: “When any one of you eats, let him mention the name of Allah. If he forgets to mention it at the beginning, let him say: Bismillāhi fī awwalihi wa ākhirihi (In the name of Allah at its beginning and its end).” (Tirmidhi, 1858) 

Saying Bismillah invites Allah’s barakah (blessing) into our meal. The Prophet ﷺ said that Shaytan eats with the one who forgets to mention Allah’s name.

Explanation:

Food nourishes the body, remembrance nourishes the soul. When we say Bismillah, we acknowledge that this food isn’t just from our hands—it’s from Allah. That one word fills our table with gratitude, protection, and blessing.