(109) Chapter: Excellence of Eating with Three Fingers and Licking Them

Sa'id bin Al-Harith reported:
I asked Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) whether it was obligatory to make Wudu' for Salat (prayer) after eating cooked food. He said: "No, because in the lifetime of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), such food was rarely available. We had no handkerchiefs, so when we ate such food we would wipe our fingers against our palms, forearms or (the sole of our) feet, and would offer Salat without fresh Wudu' (for prayer)."

[Al- Bukhari].

Commentary: There are three points in this Hadith. First, the life of the Companions was simple, divested of all kinds of luxuries and comforts. They lived on whatever was available to them. Second, a man's ablution is not nullified by eating a cooked food. In the early days of Islam, this command was put into practice but later it was cancelled. Third, if a handkerchief, or a towel or water is not available, a man can (after taking a meal) clean his mouth and hands with his palms and wrists so that his clothes will not be smeared during Salat (prayer).