In Islam we have to drink water in three sips. So if a person is drinking one glass of water then he/she should drink it in three sips.
My question is: If a person is going to drink three glasses of water than can we take an interval between each glass? (Drinking one glass as one sip.)
Or do we have to drink water with three sips while drinking water?
I think you refer to the following hadith which is from الشمائل المحمدية Shama'il Muhammadiyah:
Sayyidina Anas ibn Malik radiyallahu anhu relates that Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam drank water in three breaths (i.e. in three gulps/sips) and used to say, It is more pleasing and satisfying in this manner
There are many ahadith which support the statement of Medi1 in his comments to some extent, like:
this one from Sunan ibn Majah (Vol. 4, Book 30, Hadith 3427)
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When anyone of you drinks, let him not breathe into the vessel. If he wants to continue drinking, let him move the vessel away (in order to breathe) then bring it back, if he wants.”
And from jami' at-Tirmidhi:
(Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1889):
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Abi Qatadah:
From his father, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When one of you drinks, then do not breathe into the vessel."
(Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1887)
Narrated Abu Sa’id Al Khudri :
That the Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited blowing into the drink. A man said: "What about if one sees something floating in the vessel?" He said: "Spill it out (removing that)." He said: "I can not drink in one breath." He said: "Then remove the cup away from your mouth."
So drinking in more than one sip seems to be based on not breathing into the cup or vessel one drinks from. So our Messenger (peace be upon him) taught us not to breath into the cup while drinking and taking it away to not do so.
Well, it is only SUNNAH to drink the water in three sips, meaning that you don't HAVE to do it. The prophet Muhammad (SWS) himself sometimes drank with more than three sips if it was a lot. For your question, you can dither one but in order to get the hasn't of the sunnah, you will want to drink each glass in three sips, or in 9 sips total.
Just as the same reason it is prohibited to blow on food..because our breath smthing dirty from our nose may get into the water we are going to drink. And our body is pure and we should respect it. not be putting dirty things in it.
Many hadith have no explanation as to why it was done. The hadith has no mention what kind of drink and climate they were in. So, i reckon from related experiences, that drinking in gulps in quick intervals can kill when the fluid is so cold or so hot. I've know personally an elderly who had just some heavy physical activity then drank cold juice quickly died because of heart failure from that sudden cold intake. Poor or indigestion may also result and food instead of having their nutrients turn to toxins where health issue is the consequence.
