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Food and drink · When the moment comes

Pass drinks to the right first

The practice
When serving a group, give to the person on your right first
When
Serving or passing a drink
In daily life
Serving tea to guests or handing round coffee at the office? Start with the person on your right and carry on round. If you'd like to serve an elder first, ask the person on your right if they mind.

The sources

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أُتِيَ بِلَبَنٍ قَدْ شِيبَ بِمَاءٍ، وَعَنْ يَمِينِهِ أَعْرَابِيٌّ وَعَنْ شِمَالِهِ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَشَرِبَ، ثُمَّ أَعْطَى الأَعْرَابِيَّ، وَقَالَ ‏ "‏ الأَيْمَنَ الأَيْمَنَ ‏"‏‏.

“Milk mixed with water was brought to Allah's Messenger ﷺ while a bedouin was on his right and Abu Bakr was on his left. He drank (of it) and then gave (it) to the bedouin and said, 'The right" "The right (first)”
Narrated by Anas bin MalikSahih al-Bukhari 5619
The full hadith, with its chain and grading →

Arabic: ara-bukhari · Translation: Muhsin Khan (eng-bukhari), from the eng-bukhari edition of hadith-api (public domain), sunnah.com numbering.

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أُتِيَ بِشَرَابٍ فَشَرِبَ مِنْهُ، وَعَنْ يَمِينِهِ غُلاَمٌ وَعَنْ يَسَارِهِ الأَشْيَاخُ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لِلْغُلاَمِ ‏ "‏ أَتَأْذَنُ لِي أَنْ أُعْطِيَ هَؤُلاَءِ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقَالَ الْغُلاَمُ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لاَ أُوثِرُ بِنَصِيبِي مِنْكَ أَحَدًا‏.‏ قَالَ فَتَلَّهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي يَدِهِ‏.

“Allah's Messenger ﷺ was offered something to drink. He drank of it while on his right was a boy and on his left were some elderly people. He said to the boy, "May I give these (elderly) people first?" The boy said, "By Allah, O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! I will not give up my share from you to somebody else." On that Allah's Messenger ﷺ placed the cup in the hand of that boy”
Narrated by Sahl bin Sa`dSahih al-Bukhari 5620
The full hadith, with its chain and grading →

Arabic: ara-bukhari · Translation: Muhsin Khan (eng-bukhari), from the eng-bukhari edition of hadith-api (public domain), sunnah.com numbering.

Part of: At the Table

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Sources: Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and narrations of Jami at-Tirmidhi graded sahih or hasan sahih by al-Albani.