A scholar from a university visited Darul Uloom Deoband during a trip to India. He was invited for a meal by Hadhrat Moulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Rahmatullahi alayh) The scholar asked the respected Moulana (Rahmatullahi alayh) : “Why do you not also eat with a fork and spoon (as many others eat).” Moulana immediately stretched out his hand, drawing attention to four of his fingers, and said: “I am eating with a fork! Just as a fork has got four prongs, my hand has got fingers!” Hadhrat Moulana then said: “My fork is better than your fork in four ways…
1. My fork can feel the temperature of the food, whereas your fork cannot.
2. My fork can bend and catch hold of the food easily, whilst your fork cannot. I notice how you find difficulty to get hold of your food.
3. If my fork hits against my teeth or gums, I do not feel any real pain, whereas your fork causes great pain if it pierces you as does sometimes happen when eating with a fork.
4. My fork excretes a fluid after eating which helps with digestion, whilst your fork does not.
On reading this wonderful response, Allah Ta’ala put in my mind a few more points, which add to the excellence of this Sunnah:
*My fork is made by Allah Ta’ala;your fork is man- made. If it is made of plastic, it is likely to break in its first use.
* I personally wash my fork before meals (which is Sunnah); your fork is washed by somebody else, if it is washed.
* The greatest merit of all, is that my fork is Sunnah, whereas your fork is the custom of the non-Muslims.
As such, eating with my fork draws a guaranteed reward, whilst eating with your fork carries no reward.
And eating with my fork earns the Pleasure of Allah Ta’ala, whilst eating with your fork earns the displeasure of Allah Ta’ala.
Alhamdulillah, a sister from Reunion mentioned an additional point: “My fork can clean the plate according to the Sunnah, whereas your fork cannot.”
The Sunnah has such great benefit, goodness and advantage that the customs and culture of other faiths or societies cannot be compared to the Sunnah, nor can they rival with the Sunnah.
The way of life of Rasulullah (SallAllahu alayhi wasallam) is priceless. Everything else is insignificant and worthless. In fact, any other way of life is null and void in the Court of Allah Ta’ala.
For a Muslim, his connection is with Rasulullah (SallAllahu alayhi wasallam) and this should be evident with every facet of life conforming to the beautiful and noble Sunnah.
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq of appreciating and practising upon the Sunnah entirely, and throwing out, from our lives, the culture of the disbelievers.
(Source: https://www.ka.org.za/content/eat-best-fork)