36/32. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2057b — Guests, Oaths, and Eating Together
Honoring guests and the virtue of showing preference to one's guest
Hadith About Guests: Eating Together and Correcting an Oath
Sahih Muslim : 2057b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2057b
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا سَالِمُ بْنُ نُوحٍ الْعَطَّارُ، عَنِ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، قَالَ نَزَلَ عَلَيْنَا أَضْيَافٌ لَنَا - قَالَ - وَكَانَ أَبِي يَتَحَدَّثُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ اللَّيْلِ - قَالَ - فَانْطَلَقَ وَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ افْرُغْ مِنْ أَضْيَافِكَ . قَالَ فَلَمَّا أَمْسَيْتُ جِئْنَا بِقِرَاهُمْ - قَالَ - فَأَبَوْا فَقَالُوا حَتَّى يَجِيءَ أَبُو مَنْزِلِنَا فَيَطْعَمَ مَعَنَا - قَالَ - فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِنَّهُ رَجُلٌ حَدِيدٌ وَإِنَّكُمْ إِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا خِفْتُ أَنْ يُصِيبَنِي مِنْهُ أَذًى - قَالَ - فَأَبَوْا فَلَمَّا جَاءَ لَمْ يَبْدَأْ بِشَىْءٍ أَوَّلَ مِنْهُمْ فَقَالَ أَفَرَغْتُمْ مِنْ أَضْيَافِكُمْ قَالَ قَالُوا لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا فَرَغْنَا . قَالَ أَلَمْ آمُرْ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ وَتَنَحَّيْتُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ . قَالَ فَتَنَحَّيْتُ - قَالَ - فَقَالَ يَا غُنْثَرُ أَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْكَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَسْمَعُ صَوْتِي إِلاَّ جِئْتَ - قَالَ - فَجِئْتُ فَقُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ مَا لِي ذَنْبٌ هَؤُلاَءِ أَضْيَافُكَ فَسَلْهُمْ قَدْ أَتَيْتُهُمْ بِقِرَاهُمْ فَأَبَوْا أَنْ يَطْعَمُوا حَتَّى تَجِيءَ - قَالَ - فَقَالَ مَا لَكُمْ أَلاَ تَقْبَلُوا عَنَّا قِرَاكُمْ - قَالَ - فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ أَطْعَمُهُ اللَّيْلَةَ - قَالَ - فَقَالُوا فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ نَطْعَمُهُ حَتَّى تَطْعَمَهُ . قَالَ فَمَا رَأَيْتُ كَالشَّرِّ كَاللَّيْلَةِ قَطُّ وَيْلَكُمْ مَا لَكُمْ أَنْ لاَ تَقْبَلُوا عَنَّا قِرَاكُمْ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَّا الأُولَى فَمِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ هَلُمُّوا قِرَاكُمْ - قَالَ - فَجِيءَ بِالطَّعَامِ فَسَمَّى فَأَكَلَ وَأَكَلُوا - قَالَ - فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ غَدَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بَرُّوا وَحَنِثْتُ - قَالَ - فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ " بَلْ أَنْتَ أَبَرُّهُمْ وَأَخْيَرُهُمْ " . قَالَ وَلَمْ تَبْلُغْنِي كَفَّارَةٌ .
Abd al-Rahman b. Abd Bakr Narrated from:
There came to our house some guests. It was a common practice with my father to (go) and talk to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) during the night. While going he said: 'Abd al-Rahman, entertain the guests. When it was evening we served the food to them, but they refused saying: So long as the owner of the house does not come and join us, we would not take the meal. I said to them: He ('Abd Bakr) is a stern person, and if you would not do that (if you do not take the food). I fear, I may be harmed by him, but they refused.As he (my father) came, the first thing he asked was: Have you served the guests? They (the people of the household) said: We have not served them so far. He said: Did I not command 'Abd al-Rahman (to do this)? He ('Abd al-Rahman) said: I slunk away and kept myself away by that time. He again said: O stupid fellow, I ask you on oath that In case you hear my voice you come to me. I came and said: By Allah, there is no fault of mine. These are your guests; you may ask them. I provided them with food but they refused to eat until you came.He said to them: Why is it that you did not accept our food? By Allah, I shall not even take food tonight (as you have not taken). They said: By Allah, we would not take until you join us. Thereupon he Abu Bakr) said: I have never seen a more unfortunate night than this. Woe be to thee! that you do not accept from us food prepared for you. He again said: What I did first (that is the taking of vow for not eating the food) was prompted by the Satan. Bring the food.The food was brought, and he ate by reciting the name of Allah and they also ate, and when it was morning he came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and said: Allah's Messenger, their oath (that of the guests) came to be true, but mine was not true, and after that he informed him of the whole incident. He said: Your oath came to be the most true and you are the best of them. He (the narrator) said. I do not know whether he made an atonement for it.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2057bIn-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 240USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 23, Hadith 5107
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2057b
This hadith about guests gives another wording of the same household event. Abu Bakr told Abd al-Rahman to look after the guests while he went to speak with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم at night. Food was brought, but the guests would not eat until the owner of the house came and joined them. Abu Bakr became upset, made a vow not to eat, then later said that his first reaction was from Satan. The food was brought, he recited the name of Allah, and they ate together. In the morning, he told the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم what happened. The text keeps the lesson close to guest care, eating together, naming Allah before food, and correcting a harsh reaction when it appears.
What we learn from this hadith
- A host should take care of guests and make sure they are served.
- The guests wished to eat with the owner of the house.
- Abu Bakr later left his first reaction and ate with them.
- The food was eaten after the name of Allah was recited.
