Start with Your Right (Ahadith 2038 – 2039)

Bismillah.

Book of Distribution of Water [Kitaab-ul-Musaaqaat] starts today..

Volume 3, Book 40, Number 541 :
Narrated by Sahl bin Sad (radiallaahu `anhu)
A tumbler (full of milk or water) was brought to the Prophet (sallallaah `alayhi wasallam) who drank from it, while on his right side there was sitting a boy who was the youngest of those who were present and on his left side there were old men. The Prophet (sallallaah `alayhi wasallam) asked, “O boy, will you allow me to give it (i.e. the rest of the drink) to the old men?” The boy said, “O Allah’s Apostle (sallallaah `alayhi wasallam)! I will not give preference to anyone over me to drink the rest of it from which you have drunk.” So, the Prophet (sallallaah `alayhi wasallam) gave it to him.

Volume 3, Book 40, Number 542 :
Narrated by Az-Zuhri
Anas bin Malik (radiallaahu `anhu) said, that once a domestic sheep was milked for Allah’s Apostle (sallallaah `alayhi wasallam) while he was in the house of Anas bin Malik (radiallaahu `anhu). The milk was mixed with water drawn from the well in Anas’s house. A tumbler of it was presented to Allah’s Apostle (sallallaah `alayhi wasallam) who drank from it. Then Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) was sitting on his left side and a Bedouin on his right side. When the Prophet (sallallaah `alayhi wasallam) removed the tumbler from his mouth, ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) was afraid that the Prophet (sallallaah `alayhi wasallam) might give it to the Bedouin, so he said. “O Allah’s Apostle (sallallaah `alayhi wasallam)! Give it to Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) who is sitting by your side.” But the Prophet (sallallaah `alayhi wasallam) gave it to the Bedouin, who was to his right and said, “You should start with the one on your right side.”

So the rule would be to always start from the right, unless the two sides have age difference, in which case the elders take precedence – if the younger ones allow. This is to respect the elders.

Question: is it really important to start from the right? As we know, Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) liked to do so in all his daily activities.

`A’isha relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to like to start with the right side when putting on his sandals, combing his hair, engaging in his ritual purifications, and in all of his activities. [Bukhari]

Read the elaborate answer here, but know that if you follow even the personal preferences of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) as Sunnah, you will be rewarded. Let not a term of fiqh stop you from doing it. :)

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