Everyday intentions
Niyyah for eating: a good intention
I eat to have strength to worship Allah and to serve the people around me.
A good niyyah for eating
The same meal, a different reward. Actions are judged by their intentions (Sahih al-Bukhari 1). Eat to stay well enough to pray, work and care for your family, and an ordinary meal becomes part of your worship.
Begin with His name. Say “Bismillah” before eating, and if you forget at the start, say it when you remember (Sunan Abi Dawud 3767).
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Habits that go with it
Small sunnahs around the act.
- Eat with thanks, and finish with praise: the words for after a meal are below (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 3458).
- Share what you have: feeding others with a good intention is part of the same reward (Sahih al-Bukhari 1).
Bismillah, and if you forget
((إِذَا أَكَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ طَعَاماً فَلْيَقُلْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، فَإِنْ نَسِيَ فِي أَوَّلِهِ فَلْيَقُلْ بسمِ اللَّهِ فِي أَوَّلِهِ وَآخِرِهِ)).
Bismillah. Bismillahi fi awwalihi wa akhirih.
When one of you eats, let him say “In the name of Allah”. If he forgets at the start, let him say: “In the name of Allah, at its beginning and its end.”
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi at‘amani hadha
((الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا، وَرَزَقَنِيهِ، مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلاَ قُوَّةٍ)).
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi at‘amani hadha, wa razaqanihi min ghayri hawlin minni wa la quwwah.
All praise belongs to Allah, who has fed me this and given it to me, with no power or strength of my own.
The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever says this after eating is forgiven his past sins.
A card for the niyyah for eating
“I eat to have strength to worship Allah and to serve the people around me.”
