32. Guests and Spending
أَدْرَكْتُ السَّلَفَ، وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَكُونُونَ فِي الْمَنْزِلِ الْوَاحِدِ بِأَهَالِيهِمْ، فَرُبَّمَا نَزَلَ عَلَى بَعْضِهِمُ الضَّيْفُ، وَقِدْرُ أَحَدِهِمْ عَلَى النَّارِ، فَيَأْخُذُهَا صَاحِبُ الضَّيْفِ لِضَيْفِهِ، فَيَفْقِدُ الْقِدْرَ صَاحِبُهَا، فَيَقُولُ: مَنْ أَخَذَ الْقِدْرَ؟ فَيَقُولُ صَاحِبُ الضَّيْفِ: نَحْنُ أَخَذْنَاهَا لِضَيْفِنَا، فَيَقُولُ صَاحِبُ الْقِدْرِ: بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ فِيهَا، أَوْ كَلِمَةً نَحْوَهَا. قَالَ بَقِيَّةُ: وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ، وَالْخُبْزُ إِذَا خَبَزُوا مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ، وَلَيْسَ بَيْنَهُمْ إِلَّا جُدُرُ الْقَصَبِ. قَالَ بَقِيَّةُ: وَأَدْرَكْتُ أَنَا ذَلِكَ، مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ زِيَادٍ وَأَصْحَابَهُ.
I reached the ˹good old days˺, when they would be in a single dwelling with their families. Sometimes a guest would come to one of them while another man’s pot was on the fire, so the host of the guest would take it for his guest. Then the owner of the pot would miss his pot and say, “Who took the pot?” The host of the guest would say, “We took it for our guest,” and the owner of the pot would say, “May Allah bless you in it,” or words to that effect. Baqiyyah > Muhammad: and the bread, when they baked it, was like that as well, and there were between them only reed walls. Baqiyyah said: And even I myself reached ˹such people˺: Muhammad b. Ziyad and his companions.
أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ، فَبَعَثَ إِلَى نِسَائِهِ، فَقُلْنَ: مَا مَعَنَا إِلَّا الْمَاءُ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «مَنْ يَضُمُّ أَوْ يُضِيفُ هَذَا؟». فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ [يعني أبو طلحة]: أَنَا. فَانْطَلَقَ بِهِ إِلَى امْرَأَتِهِ، فَقَالَ: أَكْرِمِي ضَيْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. فَقَالَتْ: مَا عِنْدَنَا إِلَّا قُوتٌ لِلصِّبْيَانِ. فَقَالَ: هَيِّئِي طَعَامَكِ، وَأَصْلِحِي سِرَاجَكِ، وَنَوِّمِي صِبْيَانَكِ إِذَا أَرَادُوا عَشَاءً. فَهَيَّأَتْ طَعَامَهَا، وَأَصْلَحَتْ سِرَاجَهَا، وَنَوَّمَتْ صِبْيَانَهَا، ثُمَّ قَامَتْ كَأَنَّهَا تُصْلِحُ سِرَاجَهَا فَأَطْفَأَتْهُ، وَجَعَلَا يُرِيَانِهِ أَنَّهُمَا يَأْكُلَانِ، وَبَاتَا طَاوِيَيْنِ. فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ، غَدَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَقَالَ ﷺ: «لَقَدْ ضَحِكَ اللَّهُ أَوْ عَجِبَ مِنْ فَعَالِكُمَا»، وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ: ﴿ وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ، وَمَنْ يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴾.
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ, so he sent to his wives, and they said, “We have nothing with us but water.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Who will take this man in or host him?” A man from the Ansar (it is said he was Abu Talhah) said, “I will.” So he went with him to his wife and said, “Honor the guest of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” She said, “We have nothing except food for the children.” He said, “Prepare your food, fix your lamp, and put your children to sleep if they ask for supper.” So she prepared her food, fixed her lamp, and put her children to sleep. Then she got up as if to fix her lamp and put it out, and the two of them made him think they were eating, while they spent the night hungry. When morning came, he went early to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he ﷺ said, “Allah has laughed, or marveled, at what you two did.” And Allah revealed: “And they give ˹others˺ preference over themselves, even though they are in need; and whoever is protected from the greed of his soul, those are the successful.” (Hashr 59:9)
سَمِعَتْ أُذُنَايَ وَأَبْصَرَتْ عَيْنَايَ حِينَ تَكَلَّمَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ، فَقَالَ: «(١) مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، فَلْيُكْرِمْ جَارَهُ، (٢) وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ جَائِزَتَهُ».قَالَ: وَمَا جَائِزَتُهُ، يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «يَوْمٌ وَلَيْلَةٌ، وَالضِّيَافَةُ ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ، فَمَا كَانَ وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ صَدَقَةٌ عَلَيْهِ، (٣) وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ».
My ears heard and my eyes saw when the Prophet ﷺ spoke, and he said: “(1) Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his neighbor; and (2) whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest with his due reward.” He was asked: And what is his due reward, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “˹It is˺ a day and a night; and hospitality is for three days. Whatever is beyond that is charity for him. (3) And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent.”
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 742No grade recorded
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «الضِّيَافَةُ ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ، فَمَا كَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ صَدَقَةٌ».
the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,"Hospitality extends up to three days and what is beyond that is charity."
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 743No grade recorded
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ جَائِزَتَهُ يَوْمٌ وَلَيْلَةٌ، وَالضِّيَافَةُ ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ، فَمَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ صَدَقَةٌ، وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُ أَنْ يَثْوِيَ عِنْدَهُ حَتَّى يُحْرِجَهُ».
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest: his due is one day and one night, and hospitality is for three days; whatever is beyond that is charity. And it is not lawful for him to stay with him until he embarrasses him.”
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «لَيْلَةُ الضَّيْفِ حَقٌّ وَاجِبٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ، فَمَنْ أَصْبَحَ بِفِنَائِهِ فَهُوَ دَيْنٌ عَلَيْهِ، إِنْ شَاءَ فَإِنْ شَاءَ اقْتَضَاهُ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ».
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The hospitality of a guest for one night is a right and an obligation upon every Muslim. Whoever finds a guest in his courtyard in the morning, it is a debt upon him; if he wishes, he may demand it, and if he wishes, he may forgo it.”
قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّكَ تَبْعَثُنَا فَنَنْزِلُ بِقَوْمٍ فَلَا يَقْرُونَا، فَمَا تَرَى فِي ذَلِكَ؟ فَقَالَ لَنَا: «إِنْ نَزَلْتُمْ بِقَوْمٍ، فَأُمِرَ لَكُمْ بِمَا يَنْبَغِي لِلضَّيْفِ فَاقْبَلُوا، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا فَخُذُوا مِنْهُمْ حَقَّ الضَّيْفِ الَّذِي يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ».
I said, “O Messenger of Allah, you send us out and we come to a people who do not offer us hospitality, so what do you think about that?” He said to us: “If you stay with a people and they provide you with what is due to a guest, then accept it. But if they do not, then take from them the due of the guest that is rightfully yours.”
أَنَّ أَبَا أُسَيْدٍ السَّاعِدِيَّ دَعَا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فِي عُرْسِهِ، وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ خَادِمَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَهِيَ الْعَرُوسُ، فَقَالَتْ أَوْ قَالَ: أَتَدْرُونَ مَا أَنْقَعْتُ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ أَنْقَعْتُ لَهُ تَمَرَاتٍ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فِي تَوْرٍ
Abu Usayd al-Saidi invited the Prophet ﷺ to his wedding, and his wife was serving them that day, and she was the bride. She said or he said “Do you know what I soaked for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? I soaked for him some dates overnight in a bowl.”
أَتَيْتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ، فَلَمْ أُوَافِقْهُ، فَقُلْتُ لِامْرَأَتِهِ: أَيْنَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ؟ قَالَتْ: يَمْتَهِنُ، سَيَأْتِيكَ الْآنَ. فَجَلَسْتُ لَهُ، فَجَاءَ وَمَعَهُ بَعِيرَانِ، قَدْ قَطَرَ أَحَدَهُمَا بِعَجُزِ الْآخَرِ، فِي عُنُقِ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا قِرْبَةٌ، فَوَضَعَهُمَا، ثُمَّ جَاءَ. فَقُلْتُ: يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ، مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ كُنْتُ أَلْقَاهُ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ لُقْيًا مِنْكَ، وَلَا أَبْغَضَ إِلَيَّ لُقْيًا مِنْكَ. قَالَ: لِلَّهِ أَبُوكَ، وَمَا جَمَعَ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: إِنِّي كُنْتُ وَأَدْتُ مَوْءُودَةً فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، أَرْهَبُ إِنْ لَقِيتُكَ أَنْ تَقُولَ: لَا تَوْبَةَ لَكَ، لَا مَخْرَجَ لَكَ، وَكُنْتُ أَرْجُو أَنْ تَقُولَ: لَكَ تَوْبَةٌ وَمَخْرَجٌ. قَالَ: أَفِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ أَصَبْتَ؟ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: عَفَا اللَّهُ عَمَّا سَلَفَ. وَقَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ: آتِينَا بِطَعَامٍ، فَأَبَتْ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَهَا فَأَبَتْ، حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتْ أَصْوَاتُهُمَا. قَالَ: إِيهِ، فَإِنَّكُنَّ لَا تَعْدُونَ مَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ. قُلْتُ: وَمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فِيهِنَّ؟ قَالَ: «إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ خُلِقَتْ مِنْ ضِلَعٍ، وَإِنَّكَ إِنْ تُرِدْ أَنْ تُقِيمَهَا تَكْسِرُهَا، وَإِنْ تُدَارِهَا فَإِنَّ فِيهَا أَوَدًا وَبُلْغَةً». فَوَلَّتْ، فَجَاءَتْ بِثَرِيدَةٍ كَأَنَّهَا قَطَاةٌ، فَقَالَ: كُلْ، وَلَا أَهُولَنَّكَ، فَإِنِّي صَائِمٌ. ثُمَّ قَامَ يُصَلِّي، فَجَعَلَ يُهَذِّبُ الرُّكُوعَ، ثُمَّ انْفَتَلَ فَأَكَلَ. فَقُلْتُ: إِنَّا لِلَّهِ، مَا كُنْتُ أَخَافُ أَنْ تُكَذِّبَنِي. قَالَ: لِلَّهِ أَبُوكَ، مَا كَذَبْتُ مُنْذُ لَقِيتَنِي. قُلْتُ: أَلَمْ تُخْبِرْنِي أَنَّكَ صَائِمٌ؟ قَالَ: بَلَى، إِنِّي صُمْتُ مِنْ هَذَا الشَّهْرِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ، فَكُتِبَ لِي أَجْرُهُ، وَحَلَّ لِيَ الطَّعَامُ.
I came to Abu Dharr, but I did not find him, so I said to his wife, “Where is Abu Dharr?” She said, “He is working; he will come to you now.” So I sat waiting for him. Then he came with two camels, having tethered one of them to the rump of the other; on the neck of each of them was a waterskin. He set them down, then came in. I said, “O Abu Dharr, there is no man I would meet whose meeting would be dearer to me than yours, and none whose meeting would be more hateful to me than yours.” He said, “May your father be to Allah! What has brought this together?” He said, “In the pre-Islamic era I buried alive a baby girl. I fear, if I meet you, that you will say, ‘There is no repentance for you; there is no way out for you,’ and I was hoping that you would say, ‘You have repentance and a way out.’” He said, “Was it in the pre-Islamic era that you did it?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Allah has pardoned what has passed.” Then he said to his wife, “Bring us some food,” but she refused. Then he ordered her, and she refused, until their voices rose. He said, “Go on, for you women do not go beyond what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said.” I said, “And what did the Messenger of Allah say about them?” He said, “Indeed woman was created from a rib; if you try to straighten her you will break her, and if you treat her gently, then in her there is crookedness and sufficiency.” So she turned away, then came with a tharid dish as if it were a sandgrouse. He said, “Eat, and I will not alarm you, for I am fasting.” Then he stood to pray, and he began to make his bowing well-formed; then he turned away and ate. I said, “Truly, to Allah we belong! I was not afraid that you would lie to me.” He said, “May your father be to Allah! I have not lied since you met me.” I said, “Did you not tell me that you were fasting?” He said, “Yes. I fasted three days of this month, and its reward was written for me, and the food became lawful for me.”
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ دِينَارٍ أَنْفَقَهُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى عِيَالِهِ وَدِينَارٌ أَنْفَقَهُ عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَدِينَارٌ أَنْفَقَهُ عَلَى دَابَّتِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ
✧ From the Prophet ﷺ, who said: "Among the best dinars a man spends is a dinar he spends on his family, a dinar he spends on his companions in the path of Allah, and a dinar he spends on his mount in the path of Allah."
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ نَفَقَةً عَلَى أَهْلِهِ وَهُوَ يَحْتَسِبُهَا كَانَتْ لَهُ صَدَقَةً
✧ From the Prophet ﷺ, who said: "Whoever spends an expenditure on his family while seeking reward for it, it is charity for him."
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 750No grade recorded
قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ عِنْدِي دِينَارٌ؟ قَالَ أَنْفِقْهُ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ قَالَ عِنْدِي آخَرُ فَقَالَ أَنْفِقْهُ عَلَى خَادِمِكَ أَوْ قَالَ عَلَى وَلَدِكَ قَالَ عِنْدِي آخَرُ قَالَ ضَعْهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَهُوَ أَخَسُّهَا
✧ A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have a dinar.” He said, “Spend it on yourself.” He said, “I have another.” He said, “Spend it on your servant,” or he said, “on your child.” He said, “I have another.” He said, “Put it in the way of Allah, and that is the least of them.”
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ أَرْبَعَةُ دَنَانِيرَ دِينَارًا أَعْطَيْتَهُ مِسْكِينًا وَدِينَارًا أَعْطَيْتَهُ فِي رَقَبَةٍ وَدِينَارًا أَنْفَقْتَهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَدِينَارًا أَنْفَقْتَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِكَ أَفْضَلُهَا الَّذِي أَنْفَقْتَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِكَ
✧ From the Prophet ﷺ, he said: “Four dinars: a dinar you gave to a poor person, a dinar you gave for a slave’s emancipation, a dinar you spent in the way of Allah, and a dinar you spent on your family. The best of them is the one you spent on your family.”
أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لِسَعْدٍ إِنَّكَ لَنْ تُنْفِقَ نَفَقَةً تَبْتَغِي بِهَا وَجْهَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلاَّ أُجِرْتَ بِهَا حَتَّى مَا تَجْعَلُ فِي فَمِ امْرَأَتِكَ
✧ He informed him that the Prophet ﷺ said to Saʿd: “You will never spend an expense by which you seek the face of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, except that you will be rewarded for it, even the morsel you put into your wife’s mouth.”
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخَرُ فَيَقُولُ مَنْ يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ؟ مَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ؟ مَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ؟
✧ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: ‘Who is calling upon Me that I may answer him? Who is asking Me that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness that I may forgive him?’”