Blowing On Hot Food

Blowing on Hot Food & Drinks is DISLIKED but NOT HARAM – النفخ في الاناء

Ibn Abbas said:
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى أَنْ يُتَنَفَّسَ فِي الإِنَاءِ أَوْ يُنْفَخَ فِيهِ ‏.‏
“The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited us from breathing into the drinking vessel or blowing in it.”
[“Tirmidhi”, 1888 – حسن صحيح].
https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/26/29

This is a discouragement on ethical basis (نهي أدب), it is not a discouragement of prohibition (نهى تحريم).

According to the majority of jurists (جمهور الفقهاء), it is not forbidden (حرام), nor a sin (الذنب) – to blow or breathe into vessels and on food/drinks.

When a person blows on hot food, the sound of it may annoy people, or his saliva may fall into the plate which other people are sharing with him etc.

That’s why it is disliked (مكروه), because its bad table-manners (من باب الادب).

But its not a major crime against God or humanity, if someone does this, so we need to take it easy on people in these matters.

1- Ibn Abdul-Barr al-Maliki writes in ‘Al-Tamheed’, (1/340):
في حديث النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم نحوه وأكثر الآثار إنما جاءت بالنهي عن التنفس في الإناء وقد قلنا أن المعنى واحد والنهي عن هذا نهي أدب لا نهى تحريم لأن العلماء قد أجمعوا أن من تنفس في الإناء أو نفخ فيه لم يحرم عليه بذلك طعامه ولا شرابه ولكنه مسيء إذا كان بالنهي عالما
“In this Hadith of the Prophet and many other narrations, breathing into vessels has been discouraged.
The discouragement here is a discouragement on an ethical basis, not a discouragement of a prohibition.
All scholars agreed that if someone were to breathe or blow into a vessel, his food, nor his drink will become forbidden on him.
It is just an offensive act, if he is aware that it is discouraged.”

2- Ibn ‘Allaan al-Shafi’ii says in ‘Dalil al-Falihin’, (5/247):
أن النبي يَة نهى عن النفخ في الشراب) نهياً تنزيهياً
“The Prophet discouraged breathing into drinks”, this is discouraged tanzihi (not tahrimi).

3- Imam Al-San’ani in ‘Subul al-Salam’, (1/107):
النهي عن التنفس في الاناء لئلا يقذره على غيره او يسقط من فمه او انفه ما يفسده على الغير وظاهره انه للتحريم وحمله الجماهير على الادب
“The apparent meaning indicates a prohibition, but the majority of scholars understood this to mean ethical/manners [advice].”

4- Al-Baaji al-Maliki says in ‘al-Muntaqa’, (4/328):
قال مالك في العتبية: ويكره النفخ في الطعام، كما يكره النفخ في الشراب. ومعنى ذلك عندي أنه يتوقع أن يسرع إليه من ريق النافخ من غير اختياره ما يتقذر به ذلك الطعام كما يتقذر الشراب
“Imam Maalik said in Al-‘Utbiyyah: ‘It is disliked to blow into food, in the same way it is disliked to blow into a drink.
This means – in my view – that the saliva of the person who blows gets into the food unintentionally and this pollutes that food as well as that drink.”

5- Imam al-Bahuti Hanbali in ‘Kashaf’, (5/196):
( ويكره نفخ في الطعام والشراب ) ليبرد.
قال في المستوعب: النفخ في الطعام، والشراب، والكتاب منهي عنه.
وقال الآمدي: لا يكره النفخ والطعام حار.
قال في الإنصاف: وهو الصواب إن كان ثم حاجة إلى الأكل حينئذ.
“It is disliked to blow into food or drink to cool it down.
He (As-Saamiri) said in Al-Mustaw‘ib: ‘Blowing into the food, drink, and the Book is disliked.’
Al-Aamidi said: ‘It is not disliked to blow into food when it is hot.’
The author of Al-Insaaf said: ‘This is the correct view, if there is a need to eat immediately.’

6- Imam al-Nafrawi al-Maliki in ‘Fawakih al-Dawani’, (2/516):
( وينهى ) للآكل والشارب على جهة الكراهة ( عن النفخ في الطعام, و ) عن النفخ في ( الشراب ) خوف إصابة ريقه للباقي, واختلف في علة النهي فقيل لإهانة الطعام، وعليه فيكره النفخ فيه وإن أكل وحده, وقيل لئلا يصيب ريقه الباقي فيؤذي غيره، وعليه فمحل النهي إذا كان معه غيره
“It is disliked [i.e. not prohibited] to blow into food and drink for someone who is eating or drinking for fear of affecting the rest of the food and drink with the saliva.
However, they differed in opinion about the reason for the prohibition.
It was said that blowing into food and drink involves disrespect for the food, so it is disliked to blow into it even if the person is eating alone.
It was also said that the reason for the prohibition is to avoid affecting the remainder of the food as in this way it will affect other people who eat from it.
So, it is disliked only if other people share the food with him.”

7- Al-Shirbini Shafi’ii says in ‘Mughni al-Muhtaj’, (4/412):
قال الإمام الشربيني في مغني المحتاج (4/412) : ويكره نفض يده في القصعة والشرب من فم القربة، والأكل بالشمال والتنفس والنفخ في الإناء…الخ .
“It is DISLIKED to … breathe and blow in a vessel.”

8- Al-Mardaawi Hanbali in ‘al-Insaaf’, (8/328):
ويكره نفخ الطعام. على الصحيح من المذهب.
“It is disliked to blow on food, according to the correct position of the Madhab.”

9- Ibn Abideen Hanafi says in ‘Hashiyah’, (6/340):
لا يكره النفخ في الطعام إلا بما له صوت
“It is not disliked to blow on food, except when its done with sound.”

10- Ibn Battaal in his explanation of Bukhari says (6/80):
عامة الفقهاء لا يختلفون أنه لو تنفس فى الشراب لم يحرم بذلك
“The jurists generally do not disagree that if someone were to blow on a drink, that it would not become haram.”

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There is also another authentic Hadith:

كَانَ أَنَسٌ يَتَنَفَّسُ فِي الإِنَاءِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا، وَزَعَمَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَتَنَفَّسُ ثَلاَثًا‏.
“Anas used to breathe twice or thrice in the vessel (while drinking) and used to say that the Prophet; used to take three breaths while drinking.”
[“Sahih Bukhari”, 5631].
https://sunnah.com/bukhari/74/57

In this narration, Anas Ibn Malik was breathing IN THE VESSEL (في الإناء).

Scholars tried various ways to reconcile these narrations. Some reconciled it by saying that if you breathe in your own plate or cup, its fine, as the Prophet did. However, if you share a plate or cup with others or if you are in presence of people who consider this bad table-manners, its disliked to blow into it.

Allaahu A’alam