Law of Blowing Food In Islam – Is It Allowed?

Islam is the perfect religion. Where every aspects in human’s life has been arranged according to its theory such as sujud, sunnah prayer and prohibitions of pregnant women in Islam. Starting from the manner of worship, eating, and shitting have been arranged clearly. The same thing is delivered by Salman Al-Farisi radhiallahu ‘anhu to a disbeliever which says,

“Indeed your Prophet has taught everything until the manner of shitting.” Salman answered : “Yes, that’s right… “ (Narrated by Muslim number 262)

From the hadith above can be concluded that Islamic theory is very detail. Even Islam arranges many trivial things such as the law of blowing food in Islam which is explained in the hadith below :

The hadith from Abu Qatadah radhiyallahu ‘anhu, the Messenger of Allah Shallallahu ‘Alaihi wa sallam said :

“If you drink, do not breath in the glass, and when you are shitting, do not touch genital with right hand…” (Narrated by Bukkhari 153)

From the hadith above, the meaning of words “breathing in the glass” is as same as blowing a drink. Of course, it applies to the food. In this case, the Messenger of Allah shallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam never taught to blow the food.

Related articles :

• Importance of foods in Islam
• Rules of drinking water in Islam

The Law of Blowing Food in Islam

Although, there is no hadith that states the prohibition of blowing food firmly, but in the big line, food or beverages are the same thing. They are consumed together by human. So, in this case, every hadith that relates with beverages will also apply for food and otherwise.

1. The Prohibition of Blowing Food

The hadith from Ibn Abbas radhiyallahu ‘anhuma,

The Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam forbids to breath in the glass or blow the content of glass. (Narrated by Ahmad 1907, Turmudzi 1888 and it is validated by Syuaib Al-Arnauth)

The hadith above explained clearly that we are forbidden to blow hot food or beverages. The philosophy that can be used is how we can exercise patience through the food.

Cause apparently, we must have enough patience to wait the food become cold. So, of course, the prohibition of blowing food also has another benefits. It can practice patience. You may also read how to be patience in Islam.

2. Can Dirty Food or Beverages

The prohibition of blowing food is also based by worry that when we blow food, the dirt in our mouth will move to the food. Of course, this is very danger for our healthiness. You can imagine how many germs in your mouth, then when we blow the food, of course germs and bacteria can move. This case is according to the hadith of An-Nawawi which he said,

“The prohibition in the glass when drink is included manners. Because it is worried to dirt drinking water or something falls from mouth or from nose or others.” (Syarh Shahih Muslim, 3/160)

3. Cause a stinking mix

Besides dirty, another worry that cannot be set aside is stink. In this case, someone who has bad breath if he blow food, the smell of food and bad breath will be mixed.

Of course, it is a little disgusting and finally it can lose appetite. It is same with the word of Ibn Qoyim in his hadith below :

“Blowing beverages can cause that water get bad breath from someone who blow it. So making that water is disgusting to be drunk. Especially when bad breath happen. The conclusion, breath of someone who blow it will mix with that beverage. Because of that, Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam combined the prohibition of breathing in the glass with blowing the content of the glass.” (Zadul Ma’ad, 4/215) [AdSense-B]

4. Be more blessings the food that have been cool

The prohibition of eating or blowing hot food is also delivered in the hadith of Asma binti Abu Bakr below,

“Indeed if he make tsarid bread, its container is closed until its heat lose, then he said, I heard Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “Indeed food that have been not hot is more blessings.” (Narrated by Hakim number 7124)

That hadith is explained that, Rasulullah stated firmly that food that have been not is more blessings when it is consumed. Of course, by using this hadith, then it is more confirming that blowing hot food is not an Islamic theory.

6. Enjoy food after it is cool

In the point before has been explained that cool food has blessings in it or more blessings than hot food. In the hadith of Albani said,

“There is a shahih narration from Abu Hurairah, he said “That food may be not enjoyed until its smoke lose.” (Narrated by Al-Baihaqi)

Its means that the hadith above confirms the advise to eat food if its heat has lost. The meaning of its heat has lose here is losing by itself. Not because, it is blown by mouth or equipments like a fan. Is it more comfortable to eat cool food than eat hot food?

See also : Eating habits in Islam

The Danger of Blowing Food in Health Sciences

Do you know that Islamic theory which does not advise to blow hot food or beverages relates with health sciences? There is a fact that blowing hot food has negative effects for body. In a study, blowing food can be a mediator to transmit infectious diseases.

Imagine if you have tuberculosis or flu. When you blow food, of course germs in your body will move to the food. Then you can imagine by yourself if those germs go back into your body.

Besides that, when you blow food, then your mouth will get carbon dioxide out. The chemical reaction between carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) will form carbonic acid. This carbonate is acid, so it can give negative effects for healthiness. But, this still becomes a controversy because this reaction will happen in the high temperature and pressure. [AdSense-C]

But, there is another amazing fact about the prohibition of blowing hot food or beverages. The real problem does not come from the water, but it is from components in the water. If there is calcium oxide (CaO) in the water and it is blown by human’s breath, it will react with CO₂ in the breath and it becomes lime stone (CaCO₃) and it becomes one of kidney stone that is the most frequently found.

Those are the six law of blowing food in Islam and its danger for our healthiness. Indeed Islam is a perfect religion, every its theory and its prohibitions can be proven clearly through modern sciences such as health sciences. As the word of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala “

“… This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion…” (Al-Maidah : 3)

Hopefully this article can be useful for you. Amen.

See also :

• Benefits drinking while sitting in Islam
• The law of throwing leftover food in Islam
• Importance of offering food to fasting people