Noor Garden“Manners of Eating” – Hadith for Kids
Manners · Ages 5–11
In this hadith the Prophet ﷺ gently taught a young boy three eating manners: say "Bismillah" before eating, eat with your right hand, and eat from the food in front of you. Children can follow these simple Sunnah manners at every meal, and they bring blessing, good manners and respect for others at the table.
The hadith
يَا غُلاَمُ، سَمِّ اللَّهَ، وَكُلْ بِيَمِينِكَ، وَكُلْ مِمَّا يَلِيكَ
"Young boy, say Bismillah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is in front of you."
Narrated by: Umar ibn Abi Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 5376; Sahih Muslim 2022
Grade: Sahih (agreed upon)
What it teaches
The Prophet ﷺ gently taught a young boy good eating manners, and the boy followed them all his life.
A little story to help understand it
This is an illustrative example we wrote to explain the meaning. It is not part of the hadith.
At a big family lunch, little Sumayyah reached across the table for the biggest piece of chicken on the far side of the plate. Her cousin Abdullah, who was a bit older, said kindly, "Remember what the Prophet ﷺ taught the boy? Say Bismillah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is in front of you." Sumayyah smiled, said "Bismillah", and took the piece nearest to her with her right hand. Her grandmother said, "MashaAllah, you both have beautiful manners." At the end of the meal, everyone said "Alhamdulillah" together.
Try it today
At every meal today: say Bismillah, use your right hand, and eat from your side of the plate.
Mini quiz
What should you say before eating?
- Nothing
- Bismillah
- Goodbye
Show the answer
Answer: Bismillah (B)
Questions parents ask
Is this hadith authentic?
Yes. It is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 5376; Sahih Muslim 2022. Grade: Sahih (agreed upon). It was narrated by Umar ibn Abi Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him).
How can kids practice it?
At every meal today: say Bismillah, use your right hand, and eat from your side of the plate. Before each meal, let a different child remind everyone of the three manners in a fun way.
Who was the young boy in this hadith?
He was Umar ibn Abi Salamah, who grew up in the Prophet's ﷺ home. He is also the narrator of this hadith, and he kept these manners for the rest of his life.
More hadith to learn
Last reviewed: 2026-10-09 · Sources & Method