Is Eating on a Floor Dining Mat Sunnah?
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Is It Sunnah to Eat on a Floor Dining Mat?
Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
Question
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: Is spreading a dining mat on the floor and eating on it a sunnah?
Answer
Undoubtedly, the noble practice of the Prophet ﷺ was to eat on a dining mat spread on the floor. Therefore, sitting on the floor and eating on a dining mat is a sunnah. This is a sunnah mustaḥabbah, acting upon which is better and more virtuous.
There is a ḥadīth narrated in Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Sunan Ibn Mājah, Musnad Imām Aḥmad, Musnad Bazzār, Mishkāt al-Masābīḥ, etc. (the following is cited from the former):
عن أنس رضي اللہ عنه قال: ما علمت النبي صلى اللہ عليه وسلم أكل على سكرجة قط و لا خبز له مرقق قط و لا أكل على خوان قط. قيل لقتادة: فعلى ما كانوا يأكلون؟ قال: على السفر
Translation: It is narrated that Anas رضي اللہ تعالى عنه said: “I do not know of the Prophet ﷺ ever eating from a small bowl, having thin bread prepared for him, or eating from a dining table.” Qatādah was asked, “Then what did He eat on?” He replied, “On dining mats.” (Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of foods, Vol. 05, p. 2059, Ḥadīth No. 5071, Publ. Dār Ibn Kathīr, Damascus)
ʿAllāmah Nūr-Uddin Mullā ʿAlī Qārī رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 1014 AH / 1606 CE) states in the commentary of this ḥadīth:
ثم اشتهرت لما يوضع عليه الطعام جلدا كان أو غيره ما عدا المائدة لما مر من أنها شعار المتكبرين غالبا، فالأكل عليها سنة وعلى الخوان بدعة لكنها جائزة
Translation: The word sufrah became commonly used for anything on which food is placed, whether it be made of animal skin or anything else, apart from a table. The reason for this has previously been mentioned, which is that eating on a table was commonly a characteristic sign of the arrogant people. Therefore, eating on a dining mat spread on the floor is sunnah, while eating on a table is a bidʿah, though it is permissible. (Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ Sharḥ Mishkāt al-Masābīḥ, Book of foods, Vol. 07, p. 2696, Publ. Dār al-Fikr, Beirut)
Ḥakīm al-Ummah Muftī Aḥmad Yār Khān Naʿīmī رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 1391 AH/ 1971 CE) writes:
دسترخوان کپڑے کا، چمڑے کا اور کھجور کے پتوں کا ہوتا تھا۔ ان تینوں قسم کے دسترخوانوں پر کھانا حضور صلی اللہ علیہ و آلہ و سلم نے کھایا ہے، دسترخوان بھی نیچے زمین پر بچھتا تھا اور خود سرکار بھی زمین پر تشریف فرما ہوتے تھے، صحابۂ کرام علیھم الرضوان کےساتھ کھانا ملاحظہ فرماتے تھے۔ یہاں مرقاۃ نے میں فرمایا کہ میز پر کھانا بدعتِ جائزہ ہے اور دسترخوان پر کھانا سنت ہے۔
Translation: A dining mat would be made of cloth, leather, and date-palm leaves. The Noble Prophet ﷺ ate on all three types of dining mats. The dining mat would be spread on the floor and the Prophet ﷺ would also sit on the floor. He would eat with the blessed Companions عليهم الرضوان. Here, it is stated in Miqrāt that eating on a table is permissible bidʿah and eating on a floor dining mat is sunnah. (Mirʾāt al-Manājīḥ, Vol. 06, p. 30, Publ. Maktabah al-Islāmiyah, Lahore)
ʿAllāmah Taqī-Uddīn Muḥammad Bin Bīr ʿAlī Birkiwi Ḥanafī رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 981 AH/ 1573 CE) writes:
و يستحب الأكل على السفرة
Translation: It is mustaḥab to eat on a floor dining mat. (Al-Tarīqah al-Muḥammadiyah Wal-Sīrah al-Aḥmadiyah, p. 468, Publ. Dār al-Qalam, Damascus)
The Imām of Ahl as-Sunnah, Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 1340 AH/ 1921 CE) writes:
(نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ و آلہ و سلم کی) عادت کریمہ زمین پر دسترخوان بچھا کر کھانا تناول فرمانا تھی اور یہی افضل، أخرج الإمام أحمد في كتاب الزهد عن الحسن مرسلاً، و البزّار نحوه عن ابن هريرة رضي اللہ تعالى عنه: كان رسول اللہ صلى اللہ تعالى عليه وسلم إذا أتي بطعام وضعه على الأرض، و أخرج الديلمي في مسند الفردوس عنه رضي اللہ تعالى عنه يرفعه إلى النبي صلى اللہ تعالى عليه و سلم ضعها على الحضيض، ثم قال: "إنما أنا عبد آكل كما يأكل العبد و أشرب كما يشرب العبد" و أخرج الدارمي و الحاكم و صحّحه و أقرّوه عن أنس رضي اللہ تعالى عنه قال: قال النبي صلى اللہ تعالى عليه وسلم: "إذا وُضع الطعام فاخلعوا نعالكم فإنه أروح لأقدامكم" و أخرجه أبو يعلى بمعناه، و زاد و هو السنة ۔ ۔ ۔ شرعۃ الاسلام اور اس کی شرح میں ہے: "(وضع الطعام علی الارض احب الی رسول اللہ صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وسلم علی السفرۃ و ھی) ای والحال ان السفرۃ (علی الارض) لاعلی شیء اخر فوق الارض" عین العلم اور اس کی شرح میں ہے: (یاکل علی السفرۃ الموضوعۃ علی الارض) فھو اقرب الی ادبہ علیہ الصلوۃ و السلام و تواضعہ لمقام الانعام (فالخوان و المنخل و الاشنان و الشبع من البدع و ان لم تکن مذمومات غیر الشبع) فانہ مذموم۔
Translation: The noble practice of the Prophet ﷺ was to eat on a dining mat spread on the floor and this is more virtuous. Imām Aḥmad has narrated in Kitāb al-Zuhd from Imām Ḥasan with a Mursal narration, and Imām Bazzār, as well as others, have narrated from Abū Hurairah رضي اللہ تعالى عنه that when the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ would be presented food, he would place it on the floor.
Imām al-Daylamī has narrated in Musnad al-Firdous from Abū Hurairah رضي اللہ تعالى عنه, and he has drawn the chain of narration back to the Prophet ﷺ that (He ﷺ would say): “Place it on the ground.” Then He ﷺ stated: “I am a human. I eat just like humans eat and I drink like humans drink.”
ʿAllāmah Dārmī and ʿAllāmah Ḥākim have narrated it (the following narration) and they have declared it Saḥīḥ, and other scholars have affirmed their grading: from Anas رضي اللہ تعالى عنه that the Noble Prophet ﷺ said: “When food is served, take off your shoes as it will be a means of relaxation for your feet.” Imām Abū Yaʿlā has narrated this with a similar meaning, and he has added: “and this is sunnah.”
It is stated in Shirʿah al-Islām and its commentary: “Placing food on the floor (on a dining mat) was beloved to the Messenger ﷺ. The arrangement would be that the dining mat would be spread on the floor, not on anything else which is elevated above the floor.”
It is mentioned in ʿAyn al-ʿIlm and its commentary: “One should eat on a dining mat which is spread on the floor, for this is closer to the noble etiquette of the Prophet ﷺ and closer to showing humility for the blessings of Allāh. Moreover, a dining table, flour sifted using a sieve, ushnān, and eating to one’s fill are all among the bidʿahs. However, these are not condemned, except for eating to one’s fill, which is condemned.” (Fatāwā Razawiyah, Vol. 21, p. 629-631, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَ سَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: FAM-1052
Date: 18th Rajab al-Murajjab 1447 AH / 08th January 2026