Question Summary:
Sunnah way of drinking water?

Question Detail:

I want to know what is the sunna method of drinking water; is it after a meal, or wait 20 mins and drink water after meal, or is it before the meal?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Ibn Qayyim mentions in his book Zad ul-Maad:
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ هَدْيِهِ أَنْ يَشْرَبَ عَلَى طَعَامِهِ فَيُفْسِدَهُ، وَلَا سِيَّمَا إِنْ كَانَ الْمَاءُ حَارًّا أَوْ بَارِدًا، فَإِنَّهُ رَدِيءٌ جِدًّا
 
(زاد المعاد في هدي خير العباد (4/ 205 مؤسسة الرسالة
 
Translation: It was not the practice of Nabi Sallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam to drink water before eating food, whether the water was cold or hot. It (drinking water) is extremely dislike (from a medical stand point).
(Zad ul-Maad V.4 Pg.205 Muassisa al-Risalah)
 
وَيُكْرَهُ شُرْبُ الْمَاءِ عَقِيبَ الرِّيَاضَةِ، وَالتَّعَبِ، وَعَقِيبَ الْجِمَاعِ، وَعَقِيبَ الطَّعَامِ وَقَبْلَهُ، وَعَقِيبَ أَكْلِ الْفَاكِهَةِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ الشُّرْبُ عَقِيبَ بَعْضِهَا أَسْهَلَ مِنْ بَعْضٍ، وَعَقِبَ الْحَمَّامِ، وَعِنْدَ الِانْتِبَاهِ مِنَ النَّوْمِ، فَهَذَا كُلُّهُ مُنَافٍ لِحِفْظِ الصِّحَّةِ، ...
(زاد المعاد في هدي خير العباد (4/ 205
 
Translation: It is against the well-being of an individual to drink (immediately) after exercising, after extreme fatigue, after intimacy, (before and after) eating, after eating fruits, after a shower, and at the time of awakening from a sleep. Some of the above descriptions may be of a lesser degree of harm than others. However, every description is against the well-being of one’s health.
(Zad ul-Maad V.4 Pg.205 Muassisa al-Risalah)
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Immad Bin Arshad
Student Darul Iftaa
California, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net