أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ إِذَا طَعِمَ، لَعِقَ أَصَابِعَهُ الثَّلَاثَ، وَقَالَ: إِذَا سَقَطَتْ لُقْمَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ، فَلْيَأْخُذْهَا، فَلْيَمَسَحْ مَا عَلَيْهَا مِنْ أَذًى، ثُمَّ لْيَأْكُلْهَا، وَلاَ يَدَعْهَا لِلشَّيْطَانِ، وَأَنْ يَأْمُرَ بِأَنْ تُسْلَتَ قَدُورُهُمْ، فَلْيُبَارَكَ فِيهَا. وَقَالَ: إِذَا فَرَغَ أَحَدُكُمْ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ، وَهُوَ لاَ يَعْلَمُ، فَلْيَرْفَعْ خَاتَمَهُ، فَلْيَمْسَحْ بِهِ مَا بَقِيَ فِي إِنَائِهِ، فَإِنَّهُ يَدِرُّ عَلَيْهِ بَرَكَةً.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, when he ate, would lick his three fingers. He said: 'If one of you drops a morsel, he should pick it up, wipe off any dirt from it, and then eat it, and not leave it for the Satan. He also commanded that their pots be scraped, so that they might be blessed. He said: 'When one of you finishes his food and does not know [if there is anything left], he should take off his ring and wipe his vessel with it, for it brings barakah (blessing) upon it.'
Anna an-Nabiyya sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam kana idha ta'ima, la'iqa asabi'ahu ath-thalath, wa qala: Idha saqatat luqmatu ahadikum, falyakhudhha, falyamsah ma 'alayha min adhan, thumma lya'kulha, wa la yada'ha lish-shaytan, wa an ya'mura bi-an tuslata qudooruhum, falyubāraka fiha. Wa qala: Idha faragha ahadukum min ta'amihi, wa huwa la ya'lam, falyarfa' khatamahu, falyamsah bihi ma baqiya fi ina'ihi, fa innahu yadruru 'alayhi barakah.
When to Read
This practice is done immediately after finishing a meal. As you finish your last bite, before leaving the table, you would lick your fingers and ensure your plate is clean.
How to Read
The Sunnah is to lick your fingers, starting with the index finger, then the middle finger, and finally the thumb. This is done to ensure no food particles are wasted. If there's a morsel that fell, pick it up, clean it, and eat it. To maximize barakah, as mentioned in the hadith, you can even use your ring to wipe the remaining food from the plate. This act of not wasting food and consuming it completely is itself a form of gratitude and seeking Allah's blessing.
Virtues & Benefits
Wasting food is discouraged in Islam. By ensuring every last bit is consumed, we show gratitude for Allah's provision. The Prophet ﷺ linked this practice to warding off Satan and seeking barakah. When we respect the food Allah has given us, He blesses us in our sustenance. This also teaches us resourcefulness and contentment, appreciating what we have, no matter how small.
Source & Authentication
Narrated Jabir: The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded us to scrape our pots and lick them, saying, 'You do not know in which of them barakah is.' Sahih Muslim 2033. Another narration from Jabir: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'When one of you takes food in a dish and finishes it, he should lick his fingers, for he does not know which of them the food was in. And he should have the dish wiped, or he said: scraped, and he should eat what is in the dish, or he said: lick the dish, for the last of the food is the most blessed.' Sahih Muslim 2032. (The hadith provided above is a compilation of similar narrations for comprehensive understanding of the practice).