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

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Washing the hands before and after eating is recommended (*mustahabb*), even if one already possesses ablution (*wudu*). Ahmad ibn Hanbal was observed washing his hands both before and after the meal, even when possessing *wudu*. Evidence for this practice is found in a narration that states whoever loves for the abundance of goodness in his house should perform ablution when his breakfast is served and when it is cleared away. Furthermore, it is narrated that ablution before the meal wards off poverty, and after the meal, it wards off minor ailments (*al-limam*), referring to the washing of the hands.