There were things in the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that he particularly liked, and knowing them lets a Muslim follow those preferences in everyday life. A Nagorik TV report sets out several of them with their hadith sources, covering cleanliness, food, drink, fragrance and daily manners.
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that he liked to start with the right side when putting on shoes, combing his hair, purifying himself and in other tasks (Bukhari, 5380). Following the Sunnah, the right side is also preferred when sleeping, dressing, entering the mosque, eating and drinking, and giving or receiving something.
He liked good dreams (Sahih al-Jami, 2135). According to Sahih al-Bukhari, a pleasing dream is from Allah, so one should praise Allah and tell it to someone one loves. Islam does not support superstition, but he liked good omens; asked what a good omen was, he said "a good word" (Bukhari, 5776).
He loved fragrance: when Aisha made him a cloak of black wool, he took it off after noticing the smell of the wool when he sweated, according to Abu Dawud (4074). Among foods he liked bottle gourd (kadu); Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that after seeing this he too came to love gourd (Bukhari, 5420).
Aisha reported that he liked cool, sweet drinks (Sahih al-Jami, 2134) and loved sweet food and honey (Bukhari and Muslim). Abu Hurairah said he liked the meat of the foreleg of a goat (Abu Dawud, 3781), and Abu Said al-Khudri reported that he liked to hold a palm frond or a cluster of dates in his hand (Abu Dawud, 480).
The Companions, the report notes, followed not only his great acts of worship but also his habits in food, drink, cleanliness and small courtesies. Ordinary daily habits too are a way of following the Sunnah, and learning and following his preferences as far as possible is an expression of love for him.
Photo: ben dalton / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) (bottle gourd, kadu)
Source: Nagorik TV
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