8 supplications
More Duas for Food and Drink
Eating is worship when it begins with Allah’s name and ends with His praise. The Prophet ﷺ added special words for milk, prayed for those who fed him and gave water to him, and praised Allah after the meal in several ways that can be alternated.
Before eating
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ — وَإِنْ نَسِيَ فِي أَوَّلِهِ فَلْيَقُلْ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ فِي أَوَّلِهِ وَآخِرِهِ
Bismillah — if forgotten: Bismillahi fi awwalihi wa akhirih.
In the name of Allah. If you forget at the beginning, say: In the name of Allah at its beginning and at its end.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud; Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi
When eating any food
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيهِ، وَأَطْعِمْنَا خَيْرًا مِنْهُ
Allahumma barik lana fihi, wa at‘imna khayran minh.
O Allah, bless it for us and feed us with what is better than it.
Source: Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi; Sunan Abi Dawud
When drinking milk
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيهِ، وَزِدْنَا مِنْهُ
Allahumma barik lana fihi, wa zidna minh.
O Allah, bless it for us and give us more of it. Milk is the only food for which one asks for more, for nothing else replaces both food and drink.
Source: Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi; Sunan Abi Dawud
After eating
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا، وَرَزَقَنِيهِ، مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ
Al-hamdu lillahil-ladhi at‘amani hadha, wa razaqanihi, min ghayri hawlin minni wa la quwwah.
Praise be to Allah who fed me this and provided it for me, without any power or strength on my part.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud; Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi
When the table is cleared
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ، غَيْرَ مَكْفِيٍّ وَلَا مُوَدَّعٍ وَلَا مُسْتَغْنًى عَنْهُ رَبَّنَا
Alhamdu lillahi hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fih, ghayra makfiyyin wa la muwadda‘in wa la mustaghnan ‘anhu rabbana.
Praise be to Allah, abundant, good and blessed praise, never sufficient, never abandoned and never dispensed with, our Lord.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
After eating and drinking
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَ وَسَقَى، وَسَوَّغَهُ، وَجَعَلَ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi at‘ama wa saqa, wa sawwaghahu, wa ja‘ala lahu makhraja.
Praise be to Allah who gave food and drink, made it easy to swallow and made a way out for it.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud
For whoever gives you food or drink
اللَّهُمَّ أَطْعِمْ مَنْ أَطْعَمَنِي، وَاسْقِ مَنْ سَقَانِي
Allahumma at‘im man at‘amani, wasqi man saqani.
O Allah, feed whoever fed me and give drink to whoever gave me drink.
Source: Sahih Muslim
For the host
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَهُمْ فِيمَا رَزَقْتَهُمْ، وَاغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَارْحَمْهُمْ
Allahumma barik lahum fima razaqtahum, waghfir lahum warhamhum.
O Allah, bless them in what You have provided for them, forgive them and have mercy on them.
Source: Sahih Muslim
Small Sunnahs at the table
Eat with the right hand, from what is in front of you, and lick the fingers at the end, for you do not know where the blessing is (Muslim). If you forget Bismillah, say “Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirah” (Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi). Allah is pleased with a servant who praises Him after eating or drinking (Muslim).
More Duas for Food and Drink: questions and answers
What do I say if a non-Muslim gives me food?
You can thank him and pray for his guidance and good; the dua “Allahumma at‘im man at‘amani” is general.
Is there a special du‘a for Zamzam?
The Prophet ﷺ said Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for (Ibn Majah); one may ask for any good. The well-known “Allahumma inni as’aluka ‘ilman nafi‘a…” for Zamzam is from Ibn ‘Abbas with a weak chain.