FatwaFederal TerritoriesQuran & Hadith
IRSYAD AL-HADITH SIRI KE-240: KUNYAH 40 KALI DAN MENJILAT JARI SELEPAS MAKAN
Is chewing food 40 times before swallowing really a sunnah, and what is the ruling on licking the fingers after eating?
Short answer
Chewing food 40 times has no authentic hadith basis according to Imam al-Nawawi.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad al-Hadith
- Topic
- Quran & Hadith
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Chewing food 40 times has no authentic hadith basis according to Imam al-Nawawi. It is still regarded as good when done for a sound purpose, such as good manners when eating with others, teaching, or because the food is hard to chew. Licking the fingers after eating is a sunnah based on authentic hadith, beginning with the middle finger, then the index finger, then the thumb.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Kesimpulannya, sekali lagi kami nyatakan bahawa menguyah sebanyak 40 kali sebelum ditelan tidak mempunyai sandaran yang sahih daripada agama ini sebagaimana yang dinyatakan oleh Imam al-Nawawi di dalam fatwanya.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “IRSYAD AL-HADITH SIRI KE-240: KUNYAH 40 KALI DAN MENJILAT JARI SELEPAS MAKAN”, 10 January 2018. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/irsyad-al-hadith/2237-irsyad-al-hadith-siri-ke-240-kunyah-40-kali-dan-menjilat-jari-selepas-makan. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/chewing-40-times-and-licking-fingers-after-eating/