QUESTION

Is it permissible to eat and/or drink while walking?

ANSWER by Shaykh Muhammad 'Umar Baazmool, instructor at Umm Al-Quraa University in Makkah

At-Tirmithee collected a hadeeth of the authority of Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said, "We used to eat and drink as we walked through the marketplaces." [1]

The people of knowledge have made different statements regarding this hadeeth. Some of them classified it as being dha'eef (weak), while others accepted it.

So I say that if this hadeeth is authentic, then it is a proof. And if it is not authentic, then eating and drinking while walking is permissible in its origin.

However, this affair is related to muroo'ah (good character according to the customs of the people). According to the customs of the people, they will lose respect for someone who eats or drinks while walking. They would consider such a person to be some kind of glutton, someone who does not care to honor the public by avoiding what they feel are unsightly actions.

So when a person eats or drinks while walking, it is something that causes him to lose muroo'ah (the people will lose respect for him), and this makes it from the makrooh (disliked) actions, but not a very severe one.

And Allaah knows best.

FOOTNOTES

[1] see Saheeh Sunan At-Tirmithee (#1880)

SOURCE

This was translated exclusively for www.bakkah.net from a cassette recording with the knowledge and permission of the shaykh, file no. AAMB007, dated 1423/6/25.

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