in order to show respect.

What kind of dining tools did the Prophet Muhammad (saw) use to take his meals?
 Narrated Anas bin Malik:                     The Prophet never took his meals at a dining table, nor in small plates, and he never ate thin wellbaked bread. (The sub-narrator asked Qatada, "Over what did they use to take their meals?" Qatada said, "On leather dining sheets."