Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 198
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلاَمٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا مَخْلَدُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَجُلاً يَسْأَلُ جَابِرًا عَنْ خَادِمِ الرَّجُلِ، إِذَا كَفَاهُ الْمَشَقَّةَ وَالْحَرَّ، أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يَدْعُوهُ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، فَإِنْ كَرِهَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَطْعَمَ مَعَهُ فَلْيُطْعِمْهُ أُكْلَةً فِي يَدِهِ.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Salam narrated to us. He said: Makhlad ibn Zayd informed us. He said: Ibn Jurayj informed us. He said: Abu al-Zubayr informed me that he heard a man ask Jabir about a man’s servant: ‘When he has spared him hardship and heat, did the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, instruct him to invite the servant?’ He replied, ‘Yes. If any of you dislikes having him eat with him, let him give him a portion of food in his hand.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic expression ‘a portion of food in his hand’ is literal; it does not specify a particular dish or serving size.
إِذَا كَفَاهُ الْمَشَقَّةَ وَالْحَرَّ،
The compact wording does not spell out the circumstances behind ‘hardship and heat’; the English witness supplies an interpretation related to work and cooking.
Should this phrase remain literal, or should a later editor adopt a contextual interpretation?
فَلْيُطْعِمْهُ أُكْلَةً فِي يَدِهِ.
The phrase indicates food given into the servant’s hand but does not define the amount.
Should the English retain the literal image or use a more idiomatic serving description?