Question Summary:
I have read elsewhere on your website that one should cover their dishes even if it means placing a stick over it.

Question Detail:

I have read elsewhere on your website that one should cover their dishes even if it means placing a stick over it.

My questions are:
why did nabi saw give this advice in the hadith mentioned?
are dishes in a closed cupboard considered covered or do we have to cover these as well as not all dishes have a lid?
Is it true that one should not consume the water or food from a container that has been left open at night? and why?

Shukran for your time and efforts.

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Jabir (Radiallahu Anhu) relates that Nabi (Sallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) is reported to have said; “Cover your utensil, tie the mouth of your waterskin, lock your door, and turn off your lamp. Verily shaytan does not untie the mouth of a waterskin, open a locked door or uncover a utensil. [and if you find nothing to cover a utensil] then place a stick over it reciting the name of Allah Ta’ala [recite Bismillah]”.
(Muslim, Vol.13. Pg. 183-184, Dar AL-Marifa) 
Imam Nawawi (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) has stated the following benefits of covering a utensil: “Safeguard and protection against shaytan, waba [a harmful sickness that descends on one particular night of the year], dirt and impurities, and harmful insects and creatures. It may happen that something falls into a utensil and a person drinks it unmindfully, or at nighttime, someone uses that utensil and is harmed by its contents.
Utensils [covered or uncovered] kept in a cupboard are normally not exposed to the above dangers. Whilst it is permissible to eat from a utensil that was left open at night, extra precaution should be observed in doing so.
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Safraz Mohammed,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah