Drinking While Standing

QUESTION: What is the meaning of the hadeeth:

"Don't let any one of you drink while standing up, and whoever did so forgetfully, let him try to force up (the drink)" [1] ?

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

This narration contains a discouragement from the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), and a prohibition from drinking standing up.

The scholars, may Allaah have Mercy on them, have said that this prohibition, his (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) prohibition from drinking standing up, is understood to be a discouragement and not a absolute prohibition. And his order (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) to force up what was drunk, is understood to be mustahabb, not obligatory.

The evidence for this is what has been authentically narrated about the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) having drank while standing up and he did not try to force up the drink afterwards. An example of this is what has been narrated by 'Alee ibn Abee Taalib, as Al-Bukhaaree collected, that he ('Alee) was sitting among his companions and then requested some water. When they brought him the water, he stood up and drank it while standing, and said, "Verily some people hate that one of them would drink while standing, and verily I saw the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) doing just as you have seen me doing." [2]

This hadeeth, along with the understanding of the Companion, 'Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him), along with the approval of those Companions who were present and did not oppose this understanding, all of this shows that the related prohibition and the order (to force up what was drunk) are understood as recommended guidance, not an absolute order and prohibition.

And the scholars, may Allaah have Mercy on them, say that this hadeeth of 'Alee allows us to understand that the prohibition:

"Don't let any one of you drink standing up..." [1]

is lightened from an absolute prohibition to a discouragement. Also, the order found in his statement:

 

"Let him try to force up (the drink)." [1]

is lightened from an absolute obligation to a recommendation. So then the narration is recommended guidance from the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) to force up what was drunk for the one who drank standing up.

It may also be understood that drinking while standing up prevents one from benefiting fully from the drink. So then the presence of this drink in his body is as if it is not there.

This meaning may be understood, but the literal and apparent meaning of the narration (that the scholars have mentioned) is that it is an order from the Messenger to force up the drink. And it is an order of recommended guidance (not an obligation), as is understood by the other narration mentioned, and Allaah knows best.

[Questioner: So then it is recommended for us to try and vomit if we drink something standing up?]

The order is one of recommended guidance from the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), but actually two understandings are possible.

Firstly, it may be understood according to the literal meaning, and that is the encouragement to force up the drink, not an obligation to do so. And if someone drank while standing, and then did not attempt to force up the water, then Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) had done just that, as mentioned in the hadeeth of 'Alee ibn Abee Taalib that I mentioned. [2]

Secondly, the presence of this hadeeth of 'Alee allows us to understand the order to force up the drink from another angle that may be understood from the text of the hadeeth. And that is that the meaning of "Let him try to force up (the drink)" is that the water that is drunk while standing will not benefit a person as it would if he was sitting, and thus the presence of this water (in his body) is just like its absence. 

Based on this understanding, vomiting, or forcing up the drink, is not the actual intent, rather what is intended is a disapproval of drinking while standing. In this case, forcing the drink up would not be recommended nor obligatory, rather the intent of the hadeeth is a disapproval of drinking while standing.

And this second meaning seems to be more correct in my opinion, since it has not been reported that the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) ever forced up his drink, nor did any of the Companions ever understand the hadeeth according to its literal meaning, and Allaah knows best.

FOOTNOTES

[1] Saheeh Muslim #5247 (7/197 of Sharh An-Nawawee)

[2] Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree #5615 (10/99 of Fat-hul-Baaree), and Al-Bukhaaree brings another narration of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) drinking while standing up in the same chapter, Hadeeth #5617, on the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him).

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