Shurb (drinking: manners, the one who drinks in prayer and fasting, and vessels of gold and silver)

In language shurb is taking in any liquid, whether water or another; the jurists use the word in the same sense. ¹ The basic rule is that all drinks are lawful unless a proof forbids them. If refusing to drink would destroy life or a limb, or weaken one from the duties owed to God, one must drink enough to remove the fear of harm. ¹

It is recommended to name God at the start, saying "In the name of God"; "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate" is better; and to praise Him at the end. ^{1 2} Drinking with the right hand is recommended and with the left disliked without excuse, on the hadith that the devil eats and drinks with his left hand. ² The sunna is to drink water in three breaths, on the report of Anas that the Prophet ﷺ breathed into the vessel three times and said this is more quenching, more healthful and more wholesome. Some scholars allow drinking in one breath, others dislike it. ² Breathing into the vessel, or blowing into it, is disliked, on the report of Ibn Abbas, since it can disgust the next drinker. ³ It was the Prophet's habit to drink seated; there is a report forbidding drinking standing, and a report that he drank standing. Al-Nawawi reads the prohibition as disliking and the act as showing permission; the Rawda holds drinking standing without excuse less preferable. ^{3 4} Sipping is recommended and gulping disliked, on the hadith that one should sip and not gulp, for gulping brings liver pain. ⁴ Lightening the stomach by eating and drinking less, without harm or idleness in worship, is sought; excess that harms the body is forbidden. ⁵ Drinking from the mouth of a waterskin and loosening its neck is disliked; most jurists read the dislike as discretionary, and al-Iraqi distinguishes those with an excuse. Drinking from a notch in a vessel is disliked, since water spills over the face and clothes. ^{5 6} It is recommended to praise God after drinking, on the hadith that God is pleased with a servant who praises Him after a drink. Passing the cup to the right is recommended, on the reports of Anas and Sahl ibn Sa'd about the youth on the right. ^{6 7}

Most jurists forbid eating and drinking from vessels of gold or silver, for men and women alike; Ibn al-Mundhir reports agreement, except one report from Mu'awiya ibn Qurra. A report of al-Shafi'i hands it reads the prohibition as disliked, as imitating foreigners. ⁷

The Shafi'is and Hanbalis recommend that one in major impurity who means to eat or drink first perform ablution as for prayer, on the report of Aisha. This is not recommended for a menstruating woman. The Malikis hold that one in major impurity is not commanded to perform ablution for eating or drinking. ⁷

All agree that one praying is forbidden to drink, and that drinking deliberately in an obligatory prayer requires repetition. If done in forgetfulness, the Malikis, Shafi'is and Hanbalis hold the prayer not voided and prostration for forgetfulness is performed, if the drink is small; a large amount voids it. The Hanafis and al-Awza'i hold that drinking voids the prayer in every case. ⁸ Drinking deliberately in a voluntary prayer voids it for most jurists; one report from Ahmad disagrees, and Ibn al-Zubayr and Sa'id ibn Jubayr are said to have drunk in voluntary prayer. ⁸

The fasting person is forbidden to eat and drink, by the verse in al-Baqara (187). One who drinks deliberately, knowing the prohibition and choosing it, breaks his fast, and Ibn al-Mundhir reports agreement on forbidding food and drink to the faster. ⁹

It is recommended for the pilgrim and the one performing the lesser pilgrimage to drink Zamzam water and to drink until he is full. The full treatment is in the entry on Zamzam. ⁹