It is well known that Islam encourages hospitality to one’s guests. If one receives guests, then kindly treatment and hospitality are basics to his approach. They are not merely social values, but a religious duty. This means that the host hopes to receive a reward from God for being hospitable to his guests. This is in line with the Islamic objective of cementing relations within the Muslim community and extending kind treatment to all people, even non-Muslim guests.
When we discuss a social value that is encouraged by Islam, we look to its applicability in the first Muslim community of the Prophet’s companions. That community was molded under the direct supervision of the Prophet. He was keen to strengthen and consolidate every social aspect that tended to bring the Muslim community together. His companions understood that, and were able to mold their community into a unit with strong brotherly ties. They also passed this closely-knit relationship to the following generations. Perhaps nothing illustrates these two virtues together within the Muslim community better than the following Hadith related by Muhammad ibn Ziyad: “I witnessed the early generations (of Muslims) when they lived with their families in the same estate. It may happen that a guest is received by one of them. His neighbor may have his saucepan on the stove, (cooking his meal). The guest’s host would take it to serve the food to his guest.
The owner of the food comes back to find his saucepan has gone. He would ask who had taken it? The host tells him that he has taken it for his guest. He would say: ‘May God bless it for you,’ or something to that effect. They would do the same if they were baking bread. They lived with only walls made of canes and reeds separating them.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).
Such a neighborly cooperation is something that any community may dream about without being to fulfill except in small measure. Yet it was the daily practice in that early Muslim community. The host does not hesitate to serve his neighbor’s food to his guest, knowing that his neighbor would be very happy to help, even if that was the only food he has for the day. He and his family would have to make do with whatever else they have. With such cooperation everyone feels reassured that should something happen to him, his family and children will be well looked after by his neighbors.
Preferring a guest to oneself was a normal habit among Muslims. In fact it is mentioned in the Qur’an, but the statement is left more general than kindness to a guest. Thus the Qur’anic reference speaks of a quality that is inherent in true Muslims.
They are ready with their kindly help whenever it is needed: “They rather give others preference over themselves, even though poverty be their own lot.” (59: 9) The verse speaks of the Ansar, the Prophet’s companions from Madinah who received their Makkan brethren and shared with them all their resources. But their action, and the Qur’anic praise it earned, became the model to follow by succeeding Muslim generations.
A Hadith that describes this exemplary hospitality of the Ansar is related by Abu Hurayrah: “A man came to the Prophet complaining that he was starving. The Prophet sent to his wives checking what they had, but they told him that they had nothing but water. The Prophet said to his companions: “Would anyone be this man’s host tonight; may God bestow His grace on him.” A man from the Ansar volunteered. He took the man home and said to his wife: “Be hospitable to God’s Messenger’s guest.” She said: “We have nothing other than our children’s food.” He said: “Prepare your food and get your lantern ready, and put your children to sleep if they want their dinner.” She did as he said, then she stood up as if to put the lantern properly, but she put it off. Both man and wife pretended that they were eating with their guest, but they did not touch the food and slept that night without eating. In the morning they went to the Prophet who said to the Ansari man: “God is pleased with what you two have done.” Then the verse was revealed saying, ‘They rather give others preference over themselves, even though poverty be their own lot’.”
We note that the Ansari man, Abu Talhah, volunteered to take the Prophet’s guest knowing that he had very little food at home, but he also realized that nothing much was expected. It is clear that the whole community was going through hard times.
The man himself was starving, and the Prophet’s homes were without food. Hence, anyone who had what was sufficient for his family was considered in a good situation. But on arrival at home, Abu Talhah discovered that his position was not very rosy. His wife tells him that they had nothing other than what would serve to give their children their dinner. He dealt with the situation in a most generous way, telling his wife to serve the food and put the children to sleep. She was as hospitable as her husband. We see her putting the light out so that the guest would eat while she and her husband would not. Thus, the whole family slept hungry that night in order to be hospitable to their guest.
The man received his reward immediately when the Prophet told him that God was pleased with what he and his wife did. Nothing is more precious to a true believer than knowing that his action was pleasing to God. Such an action is certain to bring rich reward, because God will definitely reward any action done for his sake, like this one by Abu Talhah and his wife.
A question may be raised here about depriving the children of their dinner to serve it to the guest. The Prophet tells us that the first claim is that of one’s dependents. But the children in this case would not suffer anything if they slept without having their dinner. They will have something to eat in the morning. Moreover, hospitality to a guest is a duty, while giving food to the children in this case was not a duty, because they were not hungry. They had eaten their lunch and may be had something afterward.
