Invocations before eating — Du'a 1

إِذَا أَكَلَ أَحَدُكُم طَعَاماً فَليَقُل بِسمِ اللَّهِ، فَإِن نَسِيَ فِي أَوَّلِهِ فَليَقُل بسمِ اللَّهِ فِي أَوَّلِهِ وَآخِرِهِ

Approximate Arabic reading aid

Idhā akala aḥadukum ṭa'āman falyaqul bismi allāhi, fa'in nasiya fī awwalihi falyaqul bismi allāhi fī awwalihi wa ākhirihi

English meaning

When you are about to eat, you should say:(Bismil-lah.)and if you forget to say it before starting, then you should say (when you remember):In the name of Allah in it’s beginning and end.

Explanation (Tafseer)

This entry instructs the eater to begin in Allah’s name. If that remembrance was forgotten at the start, the later phrase includes both the beginning and the end. The wording restores remembrance without pretending the omission did not happen, bringing the whole meal under Allah’s name.

When to use

Invocations before eating

Reference & source

Hisn al-Muslim 178

Open source