Never drink water immediately after having eaten, nor when the stomach is completely empty. Whoever drinks water from a well will have his food well digested. Avoid drinking very cold water for it is harmful to the respiratory organs, especially after a hot meal, or after sweet food, or after a hot bath, or after sexual inter course. Do not mix well-water with river-water.
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Never swallow water with a single gulp, for a disease called al-Kabar is caused by drinking in this way. Al-Bayhaqi explains that 'al-Kabar' means 'pain in the liver', and that'a single gulp' means
'swallowing in great gulps'. Anas has transmitted the hadith that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to
take three breaths, one after each sip, and used to say that because of this it was more satisfying, healthier, and more thirst-quenching. Anas added, "I also used to take three breaths in the same way." Muslim transmitted this hadith.
Abu Nu'aim has also transmitted the hadith that whenever the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had a drink
(sharab), he would pause three times to take a breath, invoking the Name of Allah when he began and praising Him when he paused.
The word 'sharab' means 'water' in this context, although in the terminology of physicians it means 'intoxicant"'.
According to at-Tirmidhi, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to use the toothpick from the side, and would drink by sucking in.
The meaning of the phrase 'take a breath' in the ahadith is drinking with three pauses for breath by removing the mouth from the container.
The prohibition by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, against breathing into a container means that it is for bidden to drink from and breathe into a container without removing the container from the mouth -for sometimes some saliva may drop into the container, and if this happens often enough the container may become contanminated. Thus there is no contradiction between what he has ordered and what he has forbidden.
It is certainly very beneficial to ration one's water. This is because some need may make it seem necessary to drink a lot of water, because of extreme thirst - and yet a man cannot be sure of having repeated opportunities to have a drink and reduce his temperature. Rationing one's water makes this more certain.
The benefit of pausing for breath while drinking is as follows: Breathing stops at the moment of swallowing - and yet there is a great need both for water and for breath. And if a man takes a breath and inhales a drop of water into the respiratory passage, then it will make him cough or choke. But if a man pauses while drinking to take a breath, then he will be safe from this.
And as for the statement about taking three breaths, certainly there is no need for more than this, but it is advisable for everyone to take three breaths when drinking, just as the Prophet did, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
As regards the statement that this is more satisfying, it certainly is more satisfying for the thirst than drinking everything all in one gulp.
As for it being healthier; this is because if a man is having a drink for this reason, he will be cured of his disease completely, or he will recover from his disease more swiftly.
As for it being more thirst-quenching or more penetrating, this is because it helps the digestion and encourages the appetite.
These are fine points of wisdom and hidden truths, which are not always pointed out, except by those who are meticulous. The wise of the earlier times and of the later times were unable to grasp them-and may the blessings and peace of Allah be on this Prophet, the Physician, the Pure One, and may His mercy last for ever with-out end.
Anas said, '"The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade drinking while standing up." But al-Khattabi said, "This prohibition refers to quenching thirst and to giving it a limit."
A-Khattabi allowed a drink to be taken while standing, as also did Umar, 'Uthman, 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with them, and many of the 'ulama'. Others refused. The Prophet himselt, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, drank standing up.
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade the kinking of water skins - that is he forbade the practice of kinking the neck of a waterskin and then drinking from the cup that was thus formed. This has been reported by al-Bukhari. The reason for this prohibition is that it is because the drinker will not know what is going into his mouth - for there might be a leech in the water, or something else that might stick in his throat. Such things have been known.