Riyad as-Salihin · Chapter 114
باب بيان جواز الشرب قائماً وبيان الأكمل والأفضل الشرب قاعداً
The reports here may look like they pull in two directions: some show the Prophet and his companions drinking while standing, others record him discouraging it. The scholars read them together as easing rather than contradiction. Drinking while seated is the fuller and better practice, while drinking standing remains permitted, as his own example shows.
Read this chapter for how the Sunnah holds room for both the ideal and the allowance. The aim is to follow the finer way without treating a permitted act as forbidden, and matters of ruling and reconciling such reports are left to the scholars.
Hadith 766
Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن ابن عباس رضى الله عنهما قال: سقيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم من زمزم، فشرب وهو قائم .((متفق عليه))
I served the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) Zamzam water to drink and he drank it while he was standing. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
He drank Zamzam water while standing. This shows that drinking while standing is permitted.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 766 In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 40
Hadith 767
An-Nazzal bin Sabrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن النزال بن سبرة رضى الله عنه قال: أتى علي رضى الله عنه باب الرحبة فشرب قائماً، وقال: إني رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فعل كما رأيتموني فعلت.((رواه البخارى))
'Ali bin Abu Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) arrived at Bab Ar-Rahbah (in Kufah) and drank water in a standing posture. Then he said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing what you have seen me doing." [Al-Bukhari].
In plain words
Ali drank standing in public and said he had seen the Prophet do the same. A clear sign that drinking standing is allowed.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 767 In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 41
Hadith 768
Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن ابن عمر رضى الله عنهما قال:كنا نأكل على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ونحن نمشى ، ونشرب ونحن قيام.((رواه الترمذي))
During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) we would eat while walking and would drink while standing. [At- Tirmidhi].
In plain words
A companion recalled that in the Prophet's time they would eat while walking and drink while standing. Everyday practice that shows these were permitted.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 768 In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 42
Hadith 769
'Amr bin Shu'aib on the authority of his father and grandfather reported:
وعن عمرو بن شعيب عن أبيه عن جده رضى الله عنه قال: رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يشرب قائماً أو قاعداً. ((رواه الترمذي))
I saw Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) drink standing, or sitting. [At-Tirmidhi].
In plain words
He was seen drinking both standing and sitting. The two are shown together as both being acceptable.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 769 In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 43
Hadith 770
Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أنس رضى الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه نهى أن يشرب الرجل قائماً. قال قتادة: فقلنا لأنس: فالأكل؟ قال: ذلك أشر -أو أخبث- . وفى رواية له أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم زجر عن الشرب قائما.((رواه مسلم)) وفى رواية له أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم زجر عن الشرب قائماً.
The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade us from drinking while standing. Qatadah reported: "We asked him: 'What about eating?"' He said: "That is even worse, (or may be he said) more detestable." Another narration is: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reprimanded [us] for drinking while standing. [Muslim].
In plain words
Here he discouraged drinking while standing, and called eating that way even worse. Read with the other reports, the seated way is the fuller and better practice.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 770 In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 44
Hadith 771
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : لا يشربن أحد منكم قائماً، فمن نسى فليستقئ". ((رواه مسلم))
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "None of you should drink standing; and if any one forgets, he must vomit." [Muslim].
In plain words
A strong warning against drinking while standing, with the seated way being the better practice. Read alongside the reports that show standing was permitted.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 771 In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 45