According to the traditions and history of the prophet’s life that we have at hand, it can be concluded that the prophet would eat from anything that was halal, without restricting himself, except in cases where he was going to be present in a gathering; in such cases he wouldn’t have onions, garlic, etc., so that his breath wouldn’t smell bad and bother the rest. Or, for example, he wouldn’t have wheat bread because it was somewhat the food of the wealthy class. His most favorite food was meat, and out of its different cuts, the foreshank was his favorite. He considered the hindshank to be makruh because of its proximity to the urinal organ.[1] He would also eat chicken and wild animals and hunted birds, but he himself wouldn’t hunt.

Imam Sadiq (AS) has been narrated saying: “The prophet’s favorite condiments were vinegar and olives, because his excellence had said that these are the food of the prophets.”[2]

The prophet also liked squash; there was a type of squash by the name of ‘Dabaa’ that he liked, and he would also eat cheese. When ‘Rutab’ (fresh dates) season would coincide with his fast, he would break his fast only with ‘Rutab’ and would feed the seeds of the dates to the sheep. His diet was mostly made up of water and dates. He would also have milk and dates and porridge (halim), and liked dates and honey very much.

He would also have bread, oil, vinegar, chicory, sweet mountain basil and cabbage. He would eat unsifted whole wheat bread and never had wheat bread, and never filled himself with whole wheat bread either. Until the day he passed away, he never sat at a lush and colorful table like the wealthy . He wouldn’t have onions, leek[3] or honey that contained ‘Maghaafir’.[4]

Out of the different fruits, pomegranates, melons and grapes were his favorite. He would usually have his grapes one by one. He would have his cucumbers with dates, and his watermelon with melons, sometimes with sugar, and sometimes even with dates.

When food was brought to him that had dates along with it, he would always begin with the dates. He never criticized a food; if he liked it, he would have it, and if he didn’t, he wouldn’t, but he wouldn’t forbid it for others.

If he was invited to a meal by anyone, he would sit wherever they had in mind; on the ground or anything that had been spread for him, and he would have with them whatever they would offer. He wouldn’t eat alone, and for him the best meal was one that had the most number of people sharing in it.[5]