Eating when Leaning Against Something

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, never ate while leaning against something from the day Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent him as the Messenger of Allah to the day he passed away. He (the Messenger of Allah) ate like a servant and sat like a servant.’ I then asked, ‘Why did he do so?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He did so to show humbleness before Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious.”’

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Once an indecent woman passed by the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, when he was eating while sitting on the ground. She said, ‘O Muhammad, you eat like a slave and sit like one.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said to her, ‘I am a slave and where is that slave who is a better slave than I am.’ She then said, ‘Give me a morsel from you food.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) gave her a morsel but she said, ‘No, by Allah, (I will not accept) until you give from what is in your mouth.’ The Messenger of Allah then took the morsel out of his mouth and gave it to her and she ate it.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that she thereafter was never affected by indecency until she left this world.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah (saww) would eat like a slave, sit like one and knew that he was a slave (of Allah).”’

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who eats leaning backward. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘No, one must not lean forward also.’”

“‘Abbad al-Basriy was once with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), while eating, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), placed his hand on the ground. ‘Abbad said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well. Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah prohibited this (manner of sitting).’ He (the Imam) raised his hand, ate, and placed his hand on the ground again. ‘Abbad said what he had said before. He (the Imam) raised his hand, then ate and placed his hand on the ground again and ‘Abbad said what he had said before. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘No, by Allah, the Messenger of Allah never prohibited it.’”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, would eat like a slave and sit like one. The Messenger of Allah would eat while sitting on the ground and sleep on the ground.’”

“Once Bashir al-Dahhan asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when I was present, saying, ‘Did the Messenger of Allah eat while leaning against something to his right or left?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah never ate while leaning against something on his right or left, he (the Messenger of Allah) however, sat like slaves.’ I then asked, ‘Why did he do so?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He did so to express humbleness before Allah.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Holy Prophet never ate while leaning against something, from the time Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent him as His Messenger. He (the Messenger of Allah) disliked sitting as kings, but we are not able to do so.’”

“Ibn abu Ayyub informed me that abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), would eat while sitting in a cross-legged manner. He (the narrator) has said that he saw abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ate while leaning. He has said, that he has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah never ate while leaning against something.’” [Note: This account appears to be the words of narrators and not the words of the Imam]