Why Drinking While Standing is Not Haram in Islam: 5 Proofs
C J Ahmed-12.03.2023
Drinking while standing is not haram in Islam because there is clear evidence proving that the prophet (sal) drinking while standing.
In this article I hope to inshaAllah prove once and for all why drinking while standing is halal. Below are the five proofs proving why eating or drinking while standing is halal in Islam.
Proof-1-Ali (rali) Allowed Drinking While Standing
Narrated An-Nazzal:
“Ali came to the gate of the courtyard (of the Mosque) and drank (water) while he was standing and said, "Some people dislike to drink while standing, but I saw the Prophet (sal) doing (drinking water) as you have seen me doing now.”
(Bukhari)
This hadith proves clearly that drinking while standing is halal in Islam. In another hadith narrated in Musnad Ahmad (hadith number 797) narrated that ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (rali) drank whilst standing and the people looked at him as if they objected to that. He said: “What are you looking at? If I drink whilst standing, I saw the Prophet (sal) drink whilst standing, and if I drink sitting, I saw the Prophet (sal) drink whilst sitting.”-Ahmad Shakir said in Tahqeeq al-Musnad: its isnad is sahih.
Some try to come to the assumption that Ali (rali) did not know that the prophet (sal) had forbade the Muslims from drinking while standing. My question is what is the evidence they have to prove this assumption? and the answer is none. in the second hadith which I have quoted, Ali (rali) himself said" If I drink whilst standing, I saw the Prophet (sal) drink whilst standing, and if I drink sitting, I saw the Prophet (sal) drink whilst sitting.”
This clearly shows that Ali (rali) was clearly aware of what the prophet (sal) said and did. The prophet (sal) told to follow the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs and if Ali (rali) wa so ignorant, the prophet (sal) would not have told to follow his sunnah. The people who say that Ali (rali) did not know about the ruling of drinking while standing are not more knowledgeful than the rightly guided caliphs. Irbaad ibn Saariyah narrated: the prophet (sal) said,
“I advise you to fear Allaah and to hear and obey even if an Abyssinian slave were to rule over you. For surely, he who lives from amongst you will see much differing, so it is upon you to be upon my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Bite on to it with your back molar teeth and beware of newly invented matters, for verily, every newly invented matter is an innovation, and all innovation is misguidance.”
(Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi –Authenticated by Albani)
Many people go to the extent of telling that only Ali (rali) drank while standing. This opinion is proven wrong by the following hadith in the next Proof.
Proof-2-Ibn Mas’ood (rali) too Narrated Of Prophet (sal) Drinking While Standing
Ibn Mas’ood (rali) said:
“I brought water to the Messenger of Allaah (sal) from Zamzam and he drank whilst standing.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
This is clear evidence that ibn Mas’ood (rali) was also aware that prophet drank while standing and singling out and arguing that only Ali (rali) saw the prophet (sal) drinking while standing is a false argument put forward by people who are ignorant.
Proof-3-Even Ibn Umar (rali) Used to Eat and Drink While Standing
Ibn ‘Umar (rali) said: “We used to eat at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (sal) whilst walking and we used to drink whilst standing.” (Classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi)
Here, ibn Umar (rali) too drank while standing making it clear that the sahaba themselves ate and drank while standing and they were the most knowledgeful of the saying and actions of prophet(sal).
Proof-4-Reconciling the Various Hadiths on Drinking While Standing
The thing that has gone wrong among Muslims is that many have only come to a conclusion based on one or two hadiths and have not reconciled all the available sahih hadiths on the subject. As a result of this, they fall in to misjudged opinions and assumptions. there are similar examples of prophet(sal) forbidding one thing in one hadith and allowed it in another hadith. For an example,
Abu Hurayrah (rali) related that a man asked the Prophet (sal) about a fasting person
fondling [his wife] and he allowed it for him. Another asked him and he forbade
it. The one who he permitted was an old man and the one he forbade was a young
Man (Abu Dawud-graded sahih by Albani)
In this hadith it is very clear that the prophet (sal) forbade the young man because his sexual urge is strong and would not have been able to control his urge and would have broken his fast by having intercourse with his wife.(by penetrating his penis on to her vagina). the reason for allowing the old man was because he could control his urge. these are supported by so many other authentic narrations. The other example is in the next proof.
Proof-5-Praying Two Unit Prayers after It Was Prohibited
Umm Salamah said (rali):
“I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sal) prohibiting them (two units after the
Afternoon prayer), but later on I saw him praying them. When he prayed them, he had offered the
afternoon prayer. He then came to me while a number of women from the Haraam clan of the
Ansar were sitting with me. He prayed these two units of prayer. I sent a slave-girl to him and
told her: Stand beside him and tell him that Umm Salamah has asked: Messenger of Allaah, I
Heard you prohibiting these two units of prayer (after the afternoon prayer) but I see you praying
them yourself. If he makes a sign with his hand, step backward from him. The slave-girl did so.
He made a sign with his hand, so she turned away from him. When he finished his prayer, he said:
O daughter of Abu Umayyah, you asked about the praying of two units of prayer after the
afternoon prayer. In fact, some people from the ‘Abul-Qays clan had come to me with the news
That their people had embraced Islam. They hindered me from praying the two units after the
noon prayer. It is those two units.” (Abu Dawud-graded sahih by Albani)
In this hadith, it is very clear that the prophet himself told why he prayed the two units after afternoon prayers because he was asked why. This shows clearly there is no contradiction in the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sal). But no one asked the prophet on the issue on why he drank while standing while forbidding some sahaba from doing the same. So the correct conclusion. is we should not make this an issue and come to our own conclusion of what he would have really meant. Because no matter how much we try we won't be able to come to the correct conclusion.
Drinking while standing is not haram in Islam because there is clear evidence proving that the prophet (sal) drinking while standing.
In this article I hope to inshaAllah prove once and for all why drinking while standing is halal. Below are the five proofs proving why eating or drinking while standing is halal in Islam.
Proof-1-Ali (rali) Allowed Drinking While Standing
Narrated An-Nazzal:
“Ali came to the gate of the courtyard (of the Mosque) and drank (water) while he was standing and said, "Some people dislike to drink while standing, but I saw the Prophet (sal) doing (drinking water) as you have seen me doing now.”
(Bukhari)
This hadith proves clearly that drinking while standing is halal in Islam. In another hadith narrated in Musnad Ahmad (hadith number 797) narrated that ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (rali) drank whilst standing and the people looked at him as if they objected to that. He said: “What are you looking at? If I drink whilst standing, I saw the Prophet (sal) drink whilst standing, and if I drink sitting, I saw the Prophet (sal) drink whilst sitting.”-Ahmad Shakir said in Tahqeeq al-Musnad: its isnad is sahih.
Some try to come to the assumption that Ali (rali) did not know that the prophet (sal) had forbade the Muslims from drinking while standing. My question is what is the evidence they have to prove this assumption? and the answer is none. in the second hadith which I have quoted, Ali (rali) himself said" If I drink whilst standing, I saw the Prophet (sal) drink whilst standing, and if I drink sitting, I saw the Prophet (sal) drink whilst sitting.”
This clearly shows that Ali (rali) was clearly aware of what the prophet (sal) said and did. The prophet (sal) told to follow the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs and if Ali (rali) wa so ignorant, the prophet (sal) would not have told to follow his sunnah. The people who say that Ali (rali) did not know about the ruling of drinking while standing are not more knowledgeful than the rightly guided caliphs. Irbaad ibn Saariyah narrated: the prophet (sal) said,
“I advise you to fear Allaah and to hear and obey even if an Abyssinian slave were to rule over you. For surely, he who lives from amongst you will see much differing, so it is upon you to be upon my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Bite on to it with your back molar teeth and beware of newly invented matters, for verily, every newly invented matter is an innovation, and all innovation is misguidance.”
(Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi –Authenticated by Albani)
Many people go to the extent of telling that only Ali (rali) drank while standing. This opinion is proven wrong by the following hadith in the next Proof.
Proof-2-Ibn Mas’ood (rali) too Narrated Of Prophet (sal) Drinking While Standing
Ibn Mas’ood (rali) said:
“I brought water to the Messenger of Allaah (sal) from Zamzam and he drank whilst standing.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
This is clear evidence that ibn Mas’ood (rali) was also aware that prophet drank while standing and singling out and arguing that only Ali (rali) saw the prophet (sal) drinking while standing is a false argument put forward by people who are ignorant.
Proof-3-Even Ibn Umar (rali) Used to Eat and Drink While Standing
Ibn ‘Umar (rali) said: “We used to eat at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (sal) whilst walking and we used to drink whilst standing.” (Classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi)
Here, ibn Umar (rali) too drank while standing making it clear that the sahaba themselves ate and drank while standing and they were the most knowledgeful of the saying and actions of prophet(sal).
Proof-4-Reconciling the Various Hadiths on Drinking While Standing
The thing that has gone wrong among Muslims is that many have only come to a conclusion based on one or two hadiths and have not reconciled all the available sahih hadiths on the subject. As a result of this, they fall in to misjudged opinions and assumptions. there are similar examples of prophet(sal) forbidding one thing in one hadith and allowed it in another hadith. For an example,
Abu Hurayrah (rali) related that a man asked the Prophet (sal) about a fasting person
fondling [his wife] and he allowed it for him. Another asked him and he forbade
it. The one who he permitted was an old man and the one he forbade was a young
Man (Abu Dawud-graded sahih by Albani)
In this hadith it is very clear that the prophet (sal) forbade the young man because his sexual urge is strong and would not have been able to control his urge and would have broken his fast by having intercourse with his wife.(by penetrating his penis on to her vagina). the reason for allowing the old man was because he could control his urge. these are supported by so many other authentic narrations. The other example is in the next proof.
Proof-5-Praying Two Unit Prayers after It Was Prohibited
Umm Salamah said (rali):
“I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sal) prohibiting them (two units after the
Afternoon prayer), but later on I saw him praying them. When he prayed them, he had offered the
afternoon prayer. He then came to me while a number of women from the Haraam clan of the
Ansar were sitting with me. He prayed these two units of prayer. I sent a slave-girl to him and
told her: Stand beside him and tell him that Umm Salamah has asked: Messenger of Allaah, I
Heard you prohibiting these two units of prayer (after the afternoon prayer) but I see you praying
them yourself. If he makes a sign with his hand, step backward from him. The slave-girl did so.
He made a sign with his hand, so she turned away from him. When he finished his prayer, he said:
O daughter of Abu Umayyah, you asked about the praying of two units of prayer after the
afternoon prayer. In fact, some people from the ‘Abul-Qays clan had come to me with the news
That their people had embraced Islam. They hindered me from praying the two units after the
noon prayer. It is those two units.” (Abu Dawud-graded sahih by Albani)
In this hadith, it is very clear that the prophet himself told why he prayed the two units after afternoon prayers because he was asked why. This shows clearly there is no contradiction in the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sal). But no one asked the prophet on the issue on why he drank while standing while forbidding some sahaba from doing the same. So the correct conclusion. is we should not make this an issue and come to our own conclusion of what he would have really meant. Because no matter how much we try we won't be able to come to the correct conclusion.