Is it Sunnah to wash the hands before and after eating?

It is permissible to wash the hands before eating. As for it being a Sunnah, weak narrations have been reported concerning that. Jurists have differed regarding the desirability or dislike of washing if there is no dirt on the hands; some consider it desirable, while others do not. The correct view is that it is not desirable to wash hands before eating; rather, it is desirable for someone in a state of major ritual impurity (junub) to wash them if he intends to eat.