Breathing Out of the Glass

“Anas bin Malik (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) would breathe three times in the vessel and say: ‘It is more wholesome and thirst quenching.’” [The Chapter on Drinks: Jami At-Tirmidhi]

Breathing three times while drinking means that he would not gulp all the water down in one go but take breaks to breathe. These breaths would be released and drawn outside the glass. This style of drinking distinguishes man from animals as the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) told us not to drink all at once like a camel.

“Breathe three times in the vessel” means that while drinking from the vessel he used to draw his mouth away from the vessel three times and breathe outside. There is a Sahih hadith that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) forbade breathing in the vessel. The reason being that, by doing so, the foul smell of the mouth penetrates into the water or else, more often than not, the saliva finds its way into the water, which even the drinker himself would detest. Breathing outside the glass or cup, on the contrary, is more satisfying, healthy and pleasant for the stomach.