Food and meals supplications
Allah Almighty commanded people in many verses of the Holy Quran to eat lawful food and what is good on earth, and this command comes in three forms: a general command for all people in Aya (168) of Surat Albaqarah {O people! Eat from whatever is on the earth, lawful and good and Do not follow the footsteps of Satan, indeed, he is a clear enemy to you}, a command specific to the believers in Aya (172) of Surat Albaqarah {O you who have believed! Eat from the good things which We have provided for you and Give thanks to Allah if it is Him that you worship}, and a very specific command for the Messengers in Aya (51) of Surat Almu'minun {O Messengers! Eat from the good things, and Do righteous deeds, indeed, I am All-Knower of what You do}.
And Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "O you people! Indeed, Allah is good (Tayyib), and He does not accept but what is good, and indeed, Allah ordered the believers with what He ordered the Messengers, He says {O Messengers! Eat from the good things, and Do righteous deeds, indeed, I am All-Knower of what you do, Surat Almu'minun Aya (51}, and He says {O you who have believed! Eat from the good things which We have provided for you, Surat Albaqarah Aya(172)}, then Abu Hurayrah said that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) made a mention of a person who travels widely, his hair is disheveled, and he is covered with dust, he raises his hands to the sky and says O Lord! O Lord! Yet his food is from the unlawful, his drink is from the unlawful, his clothing is from the unlawful, and he was nourished by the unlawful, so How can that be accepted" (Sahih Muslim 1015).
food supplications
Among the etiquette of eating that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) taught His companions were: mentioning Allah's Name, eating with the right hand, and forbidding eating with the left hand because Satan eats with his left hand, and eating from what is in front of man from the dish, as Umm Kulthum narrated form Aisha that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "When one of you eats food, then Let him say Bismillah: In the Name of Allah, if he forgets in the beginning, Let him say Bismillahi fe awwalehi wa akherehi: In the Name of Allah in its beginning and its end" (Jami' Altirmidhi 1858).
And as narrated by Umar bin Abi Salama: "I was a boy under the care of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and my hand used to go around the dish while I was eating, so Allah's Messenger said to me O boy! Mention the Name of Allah and Eat with your right hand, and Eat of the dish what is nearer to you. Since then I have applied those instructions when eating" (Sahih Albukhari 5376).
And Ibn Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "When any one of you intends to eat, he should eat with his right hand, and when he intends to drink, he should drink with his right hand for Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand" (Sahih Muslim 2020).
Part of the Prophet's etiquette is that He (PBUH) never mentioned any faults on food out of respect for Allah's provision, rather, He would eat it if He desired it, and if He did not like it, He would leave it and not criticize it, as narrated by Abu Hurayrah reported: "The Prophet (PBUH) never criticized any food, but He would eat it if He liked it, otherwise, He would leave it" (Sahih Albukhari 3563).
Allah Almighty commanded the believers to eat from the good things which He has provided for them and to give thanks to Him, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Anas bin Malik: "Allah is pleased with His servant who takes a morsel of food, then he praises Allah for it, or drinks a drink, then he praises Allah for it i.e. saying Alhamdu le-llah: Praise be to Allah" (Sahih Muslim 2734).
Therefore, the Prophet (PBUH) was keen to thank Allah after eating, as Abu Umama reported: "Whenever the dining sheet of the Prophet (PBUH) was taken away, He used to say Alahamdu le-llahi katheeran tayyiban mubarakan feehi ghaira makfiyyin wa-la muwada'in wa-la mustaghnan anhu rabbana: Praise be to Allah, abundant, good, and blessed therein, Your favor cannot be compensated, nor can be left, nor can be dispensed O Our Lord" (Sahih Albukhari 5458), and in another narration of Abu Umama also: "Whenever the Prophet (PBUH) finished his meals, or when His dining sheet was taken away, He used to say Alhamdu le-llahi allazi kafana wa arwana ghaira makfiyyin wa-la makfur" Praise be to Allah who has satisfied our needs and quenched our thirst, Your favor cannot be compensated or denied, and once He said Alhamdu le-llahi rabbana ghaira makfiyyin wa-la muwada'in wa-la mustaghnan anhu rabbana: Peaise be to Allah, Your favor cannot be compensated, nor can be left, nor can be dispensed O Our Lord" (Sahih Albukhari 5459).