Is it true that Imam Ahmad did not eat watermelon because he did not know how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ate it? And what is the ruling on emulating him in that, and is it a virtue or an incorrect ijtihad?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The mentioned story is false and not authentic regarding Imam Ahmad. Ibn Muflih stated in al-Adab al-Shar'iyyah that what was narrated about Imam Ahmad, that he would not eat watermelon because he did not know how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to eat it, is not authentic regarding him, and his companions did not know of it. Rather, it is reported from Salih ibn Imam Ahmad that his father used to eat watermelon, and that he would buy a watermelon and eat it with bread, or grapes, or dates.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/168141
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 168141
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- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy