Three short duas turn every meal into worship: Bismillah before eating, a special dua if you forget, and a beautiful dua of gratitude after eating. They take five seconds each — and they are usually the first duas Muslim children ever learn. Full Arabic, transliteration, meanings and Sunnah table manners below.

Quick answer: Before eating say بِسْمِ اللَّهِ (Bismillah). If you forget and remember mid-meal, say Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirahu. After finishing, say Alhamdulillahilladhi at'amana wa saqana wa ja'alana muslimin.

Dua before eating

Before eating

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ

Bismillah.

"In the name of Allah."

The Prophet ﷺ instructed: "Mention Allah's name, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is nearest to you." (Bukhari & Muslim). Full meaning of the phrase: Bismillah explained.

Forgot Bismillah? There's a dua for that

If you forget — Tirmidhi

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ

Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirahu.

"In the name of Allah, at its beginning and at its end."

Say it the moment you remember, even halfway through the meal — the blessing covers what passed and what remains.

Dua after eating

After eating — Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَجَعَلَنَا مُسْلِمِينَ

Alhamdulillahilladhi at'amana wa saqana wa ja'alana muslimin.

"All praise is for Allah who fed us, gave us drink, and made us Muslims."

A shorter authentic option: Alhamdulillah — the Prophet ﷺ said Allah is pleased with a servant who praises Him after every bite and sip (Muslim). More on gratitude: Alhamdulillah meaning.

Sunnah eating etiquettes (quick list)

  • Eat with the right hand, from the side nearest you.
  • Sit to eat and drink; don't lean back arrogantly.
  • Don't criticise food — the Prophet ﷺ never did; he simply left what he disliked.
  • Don't blow on hot food; let it cool.
  • Finish your plate — the last morsel carries blessing you can't see.
  • Share: "The food of one is enough for two…" (Bukhari).

Teaching kids the eating duas (the fun way)

  1. Family rule: the youngest says Bismillah aloud for everyone — kids love the job.
  2. The "catch me" game: parents "forget" Bismillah on purpose; the child who catches it and says Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirahu wins a point.
  3. Print the after-eating dua on the fridge at child eye-level for the first month.
  4. These three duas are lesson one of the Daily Duas for Kids course, taught with live pronunciation correction. See also 20 essential duas for kids.
Want a tutor to teach your child all the daily duas with correct Arabic? Ages 4+ welcome. Book a free 30-minute kids trial — no credit card needed.