2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Safwan from ibn Muskan from al-Hassan al-Sayqal who has said the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah , saying, ‘Once an indecent woman passed by the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, when he was eating while sitting on the ground. She said, ‘O Muhammad, you eat like a slave and sit like one.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said to her, ‘I am a slave and where is that slave who is a better slave than I am.’ She then said, ‘Give me a morsel from you food.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) gave her a morsel but she said, ‘No, by Allah, (I will not accept) until you give from what is in your mouth.’ The Messenger of Allah then took the morsel out of his mouth and gave it to her and she ate it.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah , has said that she thereafter was never affected by indecency until she left this world.’”

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Abi al-Mughira’ from Harun ibn Kharijah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah , has said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would eat like a slave, sit like one and knew that he was a slave (of Allah).”’

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah , about the case of a man who eats leaning backward. Abu ‘Abd Allah , has said, ‘No, one must not lean forward also.’”

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from abu ’Isma‘il al-Basriy from al-Fudayl ibn Yasar who has said the following: “‘Abbad al-Basriy was once with abu ‘Abd Allah , while eating, abu ‘Abd Allah , placed his hand on the ground. ‘Abbad said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well. Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah prohibited this (manner of sitting).’ He (the Imam) raised his hand, ate, and placed his hand on the ground again. ‘Abbad said what he had said before. He (the Imam) raised his hand, then ate and placed his hand on the ground again and ‘Abbad said what he had said before. Abu ‘Abd Allah , then said, ‘No, by Allah, the Messenger of Allah never prohibited it.’”

6. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Muhammad ibn Salim from Ahmad ibn al-Nadr from ‘Amr ibn Shamir from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far , has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, would eat like a slave and sit like one. The Messenger of Allah would eat while sitting on the ground and sleep on the ground.’”

7. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Ahmad ibn ‘A’idh from abu Khadijah who has said the following: “Once Bashir al-Dahhan asked abu ‘Abd Allah , when I was present, saying, ‘Did the Messenger of Allah eat while leaning against something to his right or left?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah never ate while leaning against something on his right or left, he (the Messenger of Allah) however, sat like slaves.’ I then asked, ‘Why did he do so?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He did so to express humbleness before Allah.’”

8. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar, from Safwan from Mu‘alla’ ibn ‘Uthman from Mu‘alla’ ibn Khunayth who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah , has said that the Holy Prophet never ate while leaning against something, from the time Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent him as His Messenger. He (the Messenger of Allah) disliked sitting as kings, but we are not able to do so.’”

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy ibn abu Sha’bah who has said the following: “Ibn abu Ayyub informed me that abu ‘Abd Allah , would eat while sitting in a cross-legged manner. He (the narrator) has said that he saw abu ‘Abd Allah , ate while leaning. He has said, that he has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah never ate while leaning against something.’” [Note: This account appears to be the words of narrators and not the words of the Imam]

10. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hassan ibn Rashid from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah , has stated this Hadith. ‘’Amir al-Mu’minin , has said, ‘When one of you sits for food, he must sit like slaves and must not place one leg over the other or sit in a cross-legged manner; it is the kind of sitting for which Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, hates and abhors one who sits in such manner.’”