Question:
What is the ruling of eating and standing whilst standing?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
There are numerous hadiths that restrict the act of eating and drinking whilst standing. An example is a hadith of the Prophet PBUH:
لا يَشْرَبَنَّ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ قَائِمًا فَمَنْ نَسِيَ فَلْيَسْتَقِئْ
"None of you should drink standing; and if any one forgets, he must vomit."
Sahih Muslim (2026)
From Anas bin Malik RA, he said:
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ نَهَى أَنْ يَشْرَبَ الرَّجُلُ قَائِمًا . قَالَ قَتَادَةُ فَقُلْنَا فَالأَكْلُ فَقَالَ ذَاكَ أَشَرُّ أَوْ أَخْبَثُ
“Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) forbade that a person should drink while standing. Qatada reported: We asked him: What about eating? Thereupon he (Anas) said: That is even worse and more detestable (abominable).”
Sahih Muslim (2024)
However, there are also narrations that mentioned that the Prophet PBUH himself drinks while standing and the companions eat and drink whilst standing or walking.
Narrated by Ibn Abbas R.Anhuma, he said:
سَقَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ زَمْزَمَ فَشَرِبَ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ
“I served (water of) Zamzam to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and he drank it while standing.”
Sahih Muslim (2027)
From Ibn Umar R.Anhuma:
كُنَّا نَأْكُلُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَنَحْنُ نَمْشِي وَنَشْرَبُ وَنَحْنُ قِيَامٌ
“At the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) we used to eat while walking, and drink while standing up.”
Sunan al-Tirmizi (1880)
Imam al-Mubarakfuri placed the above hadith under the chapter of ‘Rukhsah (Facilitation) of Drinking While Standing’. According to him, the hadith is evidence of the permissibility of eating while walking. As for the above hadith from Anas bin Malik, it is stated that it results in the makruh tanzihi ruling of the action and not a prohibition. (Refer Tuhfah al-Ahwazi bi Syarh Jami’ al-Tirmizi, 6/3)
In another hadith, it is narrated:
أَتَى عَلِيٌّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَلَى باب الرَّحَبَةِ، فَشَرِبَ قَائِمًا فَقَالَ إِنَّ نَاسًا يَكْرَهُ أَحَدُهُمْ أَنْ يَشْرَبَ وَهْوَ قَائِمٌ، وَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَعَلَ كَمَا رَأَيْتُمُونِي فَعَلْتُ
Ali came to the gate of the courtyard (of the Mosque) and drank (water) while he was standing and said, "Some people dislike to drink while standing, but I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) doing (drinking water) as you have seen me doing now."
Sahih al-Bukhari (5615)
Discussion of the Scholars
The scholars have differing opinions regarding this issue:
- Prohibited: Ibn Hazm and the scholars of madhab Zahiri hold the opinion that eating and drinking while standing is prohibited, and the hadiths that permit it is revoked by the hadiths that prohibit it. Ibn Taimiyyah also prohibit it with the exception of when it is a necessity. (Refer to Al-Muhalla7/519-520 and Majmu’ al-Fatawa 32/209).
- Makruh Tanzihii: Majority of the scholars state that it is makruh tanzihi but is not prohibited. This is in accordance with the explanation of muhaqqiqun scholars that describes the meanings of the above hadiths as stated above.
According to Imam al-Nawawi, the restriction against eating and drinking while standing is makruh tanzihi and the Prophet PBUH did so to show that it is permissible if there is a necessity. (Refer Syarh Sahih Muslim 13/195 and Zad al-Ma’ad 2/257)
Ibnu Hajar al-‘Asqalani agreed with the above opinion and further states that the restriction is in the form of makruh tanzihi for the actions of the Prophet PBUH himself of drinking while standing is proof that it is not prohibited. He also said the regarding the hadith that commanded to vomit the drink drank while standing is a sunnah action and not an obligation. (Refer Fath al-Bari 10/82)
- Permissible and not makruh: This is the opinion of the majority of tabi’in such as Sa’id bin Jubair, Thaawus, Zaadzaan Abu ‘Umar Al-Kindi, and Ibrahim bin Yaziid An-Nakha’iy, it is also a renowned opinion of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and the majority of Malikiyyah scholars. (Refer to Al-Muntaqa Syarh Al-Muwaththa’7/237, ‘Aaridhatul Ahwadziy 8/72-73, Syarh Al-Bukhari by Ibnu Baththaal 6/72, Al-Mufhim 5/285-286, Hasyiyyah Al-‘Adawiy 2/609, Fawaakih al-Dawaani 2/319)
Syeikh Zakariyya al-Ansari emphasized that eating and drinking while standing without any necessity is not makruh, but contradict with the prioritized of manners which is sitting (khilaf al-aula). (Refer to Al-Ghurar al-Bahiyyah 4/214)
Conclusion
As a conclusion, we are of the opinion that it is makruh tanzihi to eat and drink while standing, but it is not prohibited. This is the conclusion made by Imam al-Nawawi where he said that it is makruh tanzihi.
However, considering that there are numerous hadiths that restrict the action, some scholars prohibit it, hence, we advise us all to avoid eating and drinking while standing the best that we could. Eating and drinking while sitting is the proper way and manners that we should maintain in our daily lives.
Wallahua’lam.