25/21. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1820 — Food Suffices More People
What Has Been Related About: Food For One is Sufficient For Two
Hadith About Sharing Food in Islam
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1820
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1820
حَدَّثَنَا الأَنْصَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " طَعَامُ الاِثْنَيْنِ كَافِي الثَّلاَثَةِ وَطَعَامُ الثَّلاَثَةِ كَافِي الأَرْبَعَةِ " . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ وَابْنِ عُمَرَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .وَرَوَى جَابِرٌ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " طَعَامُ الْوَاحِدِ يَكْفِي الاِثْنَيْنِ وَطَعَامُ الاِثْنَيْنِ يَكْفِي الأَرْبَعَةَ وَطَعَامُ الأَرْبَعَةِ يَكْفِي الثَّمَانِيَةَ " . حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِهَذَا .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said: "The Food Of Two Is Sufficient For Three, And The Food Of Three Is Sufficient For Four." He Said: There Are Narrations On This Topic From Jabir, And Ibn 'Umar. [Abu 'Eisa Said:] This Hadith Is Hasan Sahih.It Has Been Reported From Jabir Bin 'Abdullah And Ibn 'Umar That The Prophet (ﷺ) Said: "The Food Of One Is Sufficient For Two, And The Food Of Two Is Sufficient For Four, And The Food Of Four Is Sufficient For Eight." Another Chain From Jabir That The Prophet (ﷺ) Said Similarly.
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1820In-book reference : Book 25, Hadith 34,35English translation : Vol. 3, Book 23, Hadith 1820
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1820
This Hadith about sharing food in Islam teaches generosity and trust in sufficiency. Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said the food of two is sufficient for three, and the food of three is sufficient for four. The text also mentions reports from Jabir and Ibn 'Umar with a similar meaning: the food of one is enough for two, the food of two for four, and the food of four for eight. The Hadith does not teach carelessness with food planning. It teaches that people should not be too tight-hearted when food is shared. A meal may stretch further than expected when people eat with good manners and make room for others. The message is practical, warm, and social: share what you have and do not assume there is no space for another person.
What we learn from this hadith
- Food can be shared with more people than expected.
- The Hadith encourages generosity at mealtime.
- A person should not be too quick to exclude others from food.
