Hospitality

HOSPITALITY

Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Amr reported that Allah’s Apostle (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) said: “Have I not been informed that you offer prayer all the night and fast the whole day?” I said: “Yes”. He said: “Do not do so; offer prayer at night and also sleep; fast for a few days and give up fasting for a few days because your body has a right on you, and your eye has a right on you, and your guest has a right on you, and your wife has a right on you. I hope that you will have a long life, and it is sufficient for you to fast for three days a month as the reward of a good deed, is multiplied ten times, that means, as if you fasted the whole year”.

“I insisted (on fasting more) so I was given a hard instruction. I said: ‘I can do more that that (fasting)’. The Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) said, ‘Fast three days every week’. But as I insisted (on fasting more) so I was burdened. I said: ‘I can fast more than that.’ The Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) said, ‘Fast as Prophet David (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) used to fast’. I said, ‘How was the fasting of the Prophet David?’ The Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) said, ‘One half of a year (i.e. he used to fast on alternate days)’”. (Bukhari)

Sayyiduna Abu Shuraih al-Ka’bi reported that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should serve his guest generously. The guest’s reward is: To provide him with a superior type of food for a night and a day and a guest is to be entertained with food for three days, and whatever is offered beyond that, is regarded as something given in charity. And it is not lawful for a guest to stay with his host for such a long period so as to put him in a critical position.” (Bukhari)

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra reported that Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should not hurt his neighbour; and whoever believes in Allah and the 2 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk

Last Day, should serve his guest generously and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should talk what is good or keep quiet.” (Bukhari)

Sayyiduna Aqbah Bin Aamir reported: “We said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam)! You send us out and it happens that we have to stay with such people as do not entertain us. What do you think about it?’ Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) said to us, ‘if you stay with some people and they entertain you as they should for a guest, accept it; but if they do not do then you should take from them the right of the guest, which they ought to give’”. (Bukhari)

Sayyiduna Abu Juhaifah reported that the Beloved Rasool (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) established a bond of brotherhood between Sayyiduna Salmaan and Sayyiduna Abu Darda . Sayyiduna Salmaan paid a visit to Sayyiduna Abu Darda and found Sayyidah Umm-e-Abu Darda dressed in shabby clothes and asked her why she was in that state. She replied: “Your brother, Abu Ad-Darda is not interested in the luxuries of this world.” In the meantime, Sayyiduna Abu Ad-Darda came and prepared a meal for him (Sayyiduna Salmaan ), and said to him: “Please eat for I am fasting”. Sayyiduna Salmaan said: “I am not going to eat, unless you eat”. So Sayyiduna Abu Ad-Darda ate. When it was night, Sayyiduna Abu Ad-Darda got up (for the night prayer). Sayyiduna Salmaan said to him: “Sleep”. And he slept. Again Sayyiduna Abu Ad-Darda got up for the prayer, and Sayyiduna Salmaan said to him: “Sleep”. When it was the last part of the night, Sayyiduna Salmaan said to him: “Get up now for the prayer”. So both of them offered their prayers and Sayyiduna Salmaan said to Sayyiduna Abu Ad-Darda : “Your Lord has a right on you; and your soul has a right on you; and your family has a right on you; so you should give the rights of all those who have a right on you”. The Holy Prophet said: “Salmaan has spoken the truth.” (Bukhari) 3 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk

Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Abu Bakr reported: “Abu Bakr invited a group of people and told me, ‘Look after your guests’. Abu Bakr added, ‘I am going to visit the Holy Prophet , and you should finish serving them before I return’.”

Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman said: “So I went at once and served them with what was available at that time in the house and requested them to eat. They said, ‘Where is the owner of the house.’ Abdur Rahman said, ‘Take your meal.’ They said, ‘We will not eat till the owner of the house comes.’ Abdur Rahman said, ‘Accept your meal from us, for if my father comes and finds you not having taken your meal you we will be blamed severely by him’, but they refused to take their meals. So I was sure that my father would be angry with me. When he came, I went away (to hide myself) from him. He asked, ‘What have you done (about the guests?).’ They informed him the whole story Abu Bakr called: ‘O Abdur Rahman ! I kept quiet’. He then called again: ‘O Abdur Rahman !’ I kept quiet and he called again, ‘O Ignorant boy! I beseech you by Allah , if you hear my voice, then come out.’ I came out and said, ‘Please ask your guests (and do not be angry with me).’ They said, ‘He has told the truth; he brought the meal to us.’ He said, ‘As you have been waiting for me, by Allah , I will not eat of it tonight’. They said, ‘By Allah , we will have never seen a night like this night in evil. What is wrong with you? Why don’t you accept your meals of hospitality from us?’ (He said to me), ‘Bring your meal. I brought it to him, and he put his hand in it, saying, ‘In the name of Allah ’. The first state of fury was because of Shaytaan. So Abu Bakr ate and so did his guests.” (Bukhari)