What should a muslim do who wants to follow the sunnah, but the people you are visiting are not following the sunnah, for example they are eating from a dining table. Do I have the right to sit on the floor or should I follow the housefolk?
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) never ate at a table. In Saheeh al-Bukhaari
(6450) it was narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never ate at a
table (khiwaan) until he died and he never ate soft bread until he
died.”
It says in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood: “The khiwaan is a table
made of wood with legs on each side; eating from such a table is the habit
of those who live a life of luxury, so that they do not have to bend over
and tilt their heads when eating.”
There is no doubt that it is permissible to eat at a
khiwaan or at a high table, and to eat soft bread. But the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) refrained from those things out
of humility and as a sign of his giving up the pleasures of this world.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: “The fact that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) refrained from eating at tables
and eating soft bread meant that he was giving up the pleasures of this
world in return for the pleasures of the abiding world (of the Hereafter).”
This does not justify denouncing those who do things like
that. If a person visits people and finds them eating at a table, there is
nothing wrong with him eating with them at the table. They would find it
very strange indeed if he were to go away and sit on the floor on his own;
he should not make them do that, rather he should accept their invitation
and eat with them. If he explains to them what the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, and reminds them of asceticism
(zuhd), that is very good. And Allaah knows best.
