■Ahadith which show that drinking water while standing is prohibited (Haram):
(Taken from Shaikh Al-Albani’s Silsatul-Ahadith As-Sahihah 175-177)
No. 175 – From Abu Huraira who said: the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
‘One of you should not dare drink standing up.’
In another wording:
From Abu Huraira said: from the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-: that he saw a man drinking standing up, so the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said to him:
‘Vomit it out.’
The man asked: ‘Why?’
He -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
‘Would it please you that a cat drank along with you?’
The man answered: ‘No.’
The Messenger said:
‘For indeed, someone more evil than a cat drank along with you! Shaytan!!’
[Collected by Ahmad, Darmi and Tahawi , and Al-Albaani said this chain is Saheeh.]
No. 176/2175 – From Abu Huraira who said that Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
‘If the person who drank whilst standing knew what was in his stomach, he would vomit it out.’
[Collected by Ahmad and Albaani said it was Saheeh]
No. 177 – From Anas from the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam–: that ‘he prohibited’ – and in another wording: ‘rebuked us’ – from drinking while standing.’
[Collected by Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Darmi, Ibn Majah & Tahawi]
■ Ahadith which show that drinking water while standing is permissible (Halal):
Al-Bukhaari (1637) and Muslim (2027) narrated that Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I brought water to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) from Zamzam and he drank whilst standing.
Al-Bukhaari (5615) narrated from ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he drank whilst standing then he said: Some people say it is makrooh for one of you to drink whilst standing, but I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) doing what you have seen me do.
Ahmad (797) narrated that ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) 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 (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) drink whilst standing, and if I drink sitting, I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) drink whilst sitting.” Ahmad Shaakir said in Tahqeeq al-Musnad: its isnaad is saheeh.
Al-Tirmidhi (1881) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We used to eat at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) whilst walking, and we used to drink whilst standing.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
There is a difference of opinion between the scholars on this issue:
Group 1: Says that drinking water sitting is Wajib (obligatory) and standing is permissible only during a necessity. Ex. Shaikh Al-Albani in our times, Imam Ibn Hazm in the past and some other Ulama held this view.
Group 2: Both standing and sitting while drinking water is proven from the Prophet ﷺ and the Sahaba. Majority of the scholars held this opinion as well as some of the Sahaba as we have seen above.
What is the safest opinion?
The opnion of group 1 is safer. The opinion of group 2 is based on the actions of some of the senior Sahaba and hence is not invalid.
How should we practice drinking water now?
Follow what you feel is closer to the truth and don’t criticise the other end. As this issue is from the valid Ijtehadi differences.
What seems to be the truth is that perhaps it was prohibited initially, but in the later stages of the Prophet’s blessed life it was made permissible as the senior Sahaba like Ali (رضي الله عنه) and Ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه) allowed both. And Allah knows the best.
-Abu Muaaz Mohammed Manna.
Saheehus-Seerah 