Washing the hands before and after meals

Washing the hands – a Sunnah of the Ambiya (Prophets)

1. Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) narrates that the Prophet (saws) said: “Washing the hands before and after meals repels poverty, and it is a Sunnah of all the Ambiya” (Majma of At-Tabarani, Vol 5, Page 13)

2. Anas (ra) relates that the Prophet (saws) said: “The person who desires that his home be filled with goodness should wash his hands before and after partaking of meals.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol.2, Page 234);

3. Salman al-Farisi (ra) relates that he read in the Tawrah that washing the hands after meals was a source of prosperity.  He related this to the Prophet (saws), who said to him: “Washing the hands before as well as after meals is a source of barakah or blessings” (Shama’il, Page 12);

Washing the hands before and after meals is a Sunnah.  Even if a person’s hands are clean, he should still wash them.  Hadith number 3 talks about ’barakah‘.  The barakah mentioned here is that the noble purpose for which we are eating will be fulfilled.  The food will become a beneficial part of our bodies, and aid us in doing good deeds and displaying good character.  Barakah also means that an increase will be perceieved in that food.

An amazing story pertaining to this Sunnah

A pious man narrated that he had a debt of 300 pounds, and due to straigtened circumstances, he could not imagine how he would ever be releived of his burden.  Sitting one day in the discourse of an Aalim, he heard him say that whoever washes his hands before and after eating, in view of it being a Sunnah of the Prophet (saws), will Insha-Allaah be releived of his debts in a short span of time.  The pious man adopted the above procedure, and through the grace of Allah (swt), he was absolved of all his debts in a few days time (narrated in Uswah, page 9)