Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, "He who believes in God and the last day should honour his guest; he who believes in God and the last day should not annoy his neighbour ; and he who believes in God and the last day should say what is good, or keep silent." In a version instead of speaking of the neighbour he said, "He who believes in God and the last day should join ties of relationship."(Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Shuraih al-Ka'bi reported God's messenger as saying, "He who believes in God and the last day should honour his guest. Provisions for the road are what will serve for a day and a night; hospitality extends for three days ; what goes beyond that is sadaqa ; and it is not allowable that a guest should stay till he makes himself an encumbrance.'' (Bukhari and Muslim.)

'Uqba b. 'Amir told that he said to the Prophet, "You send us out and we come to people who do not give us hospitality, so what is your opinion?" He replied, "If you come to people who order for you what is fitting for a guest accept it; but if they do not, take from them what is fitting for them to give to a guest." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira told that when God’s messenger went out one day, or night, he met Abu Bakr and 'Umar and asked them what had brought them out of their houses at that hour. When they replied that it was hunger he said, "It is the same with me. By Him in whose hand my soul is, what has brought you out has brought me out. Get up." They got up and went with him to a man of the Ansar, but he was not at home. When his wife saw him she gave a hearty welcome and God’s messenger asked her where so and so had gone, to which she replied that he had gone to get them some fresh water. At that moment the Ansari appeared, and seeing God’s messenger and his two companions he said, "Praise be to God! No one has more honourable guests to-day than I." He then went and brought them a bunch containing ripening dates, dried dates and fresh dates, and telling them to eat some of that he took his knife. God’s messenger having warned him not to kill an animal which was giving milk, he killed a sheep for them; and after they had eaten of it and of the bunch and drunk to their satisfaction God’s messenger said to Abu Bakr and 'Umar, "By Him in whose hand my soul is, you 1 will be questioned about this bounty on the day of resurrection. Hunger brought you out of your houses, then you did not return till this bounty came to you." 1. It it noteworthy that the second person pronouns in this and the following sentence are plural although two people are addressed.Muslim transmitted it. Abu Mas'ud’s tradition, "One of the Ansar..." has been mentioned in the chapter on the wedding-feast. 22. See p. 684.

Al-Miqdam b. Ma'dikarib heard the Prophet say, "If any Muslim is a guest of people and is given nothing, it is the duty of every Muslim to help him to the extent of taking for him from their property and crops the amount of entertainment he should have received."Darimi and Abu Dawud transmitted it. A version by the latter has, "If anyone is a guest of people who provide no hospitality for him, he is entitled to take from them the equivalent of the hospitality due him."

Abul Ahwas al-Jushami quoted his father to the effect that he said, "Messenger of God, tell me, if I come to a man who gives me no entertainment or hospitality and he afterwards comes to me, shall I give him entertainment or treat him as he treated me?" He replied, "No, give him entertainment." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Anas or someone else told that God's messenger asked permission to enter the house of Sa'd b. 'Ubada saying, "Peace and God's mercy be upon you," and Sa'd replied, "And upon you be peace and God's mercy," but did not speak loud enough for the Prophet to hear. He gave the salutation three times and Sa'd responded three times, but did not speak loud enough for him to hear, so the Prophet went away. Sa'd went after him and said, "Messenger of God, for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom, you did not give a salutation without my hearing it and responding to you, but I did not speak loud enough for you to hear because I wanted to receive many of your salutations and so receive great blessing." They then entered the house and he offered him raisins which God's prophet ate. Then when he finished he said, "May the righteous eat your food, may the angels invoke blessings on you, and may those who have been fasting break their fast with you!"It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

Abu Sa'id reported the Prophet as saying, "The believer and faith are like a horse with the stake to which it is tethered, which moves round and then returns to its stake, for the believer is negligent and then returns to faith. Feed the pious with your food and confer your kindness on the believers." Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, and Abu Nu'aim, in al-Hilya, transmitted it.

'Abdallah b. Busr told that the Prophet had a dish called al-gharra' 1 which was carried by four men, and when they had offered the forenoon prayer that dish in which tharid had been prepared was brought and the people gathered round it. When they were numerous God's messenger knelt down, and when a nomadic Arab asked what kind of sitting that was, God’s messenger replied, "God has made me a kindly servant and not a refractory tyrant." He then said, "If you eat from its sides and leave the top a blessing will be conferred on it." 1. Meaning the white one.Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Wahshi b. Harb, on his father’s authority, said his grandfather told of God's messenger's Companions saying, "Messenger of God, we eat but are not satisfied." He suggested that they ate separately, and when they replied that that was so he said, "If you gather together at your food and mention God’s name you will be blessed in it." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

God's messenger went out during the night and when he passed me by and called to me I went out to him. He then passed by Abu Bakr, and when he called him he went out to him. He then passed by 'Umar and when he called him he went out to him. He then set off and when he had entered a garden belonging to one of the Ansar he asked the owner of the garden to give us some ripening dates to eat. He brought a bunch and laid it down, and when he and his companions had eaten he called for some cold water, after drinking which he said, "You will be questioned about this bounty on the day of resurrection." Thereupon 'Umar seized the bunch, and when he had thrown it on the ground so that the ripening dates were scattered towards God’s messenger he said, "Messenger of God, shall we be questioned about this on the day of resurrection?" He replied, "Yes, but not for three things: a rag with which a man covers his private parts, or a crumb with which he allays his hunger, or a shelter 1 into which he warms himself to escape heat and cold." 1. The word is hujr which is basically something forbidden It is then used as a place of protection covered with mud or stone. The following words indicate that something very small is intended. Cf. Mirqat, iv, 397. Pt. 12Ahmad and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, "When the cloth is set down a man must not get up till it is removed, nor must he withdraw his hand even if he has had enough till the people have finished, but if he does he should make his excuse, for that embarrasses his companion and he does not stretch out his hand although he may perhaps require the food." Ibn Majah and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, transmitted it.

Ja'far b. Muhammad told on his father's authority that when God's messenger ate along with people he was the last to finish eating. Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman in mursal form.

The Prophet was brought some food which he offered to us, and when we said we did not want it he replied, "Do not combine falsehood with hunger." Ibn Majah transmitted it.

'Umar b. al-Khattab reported God's messenger as saying, "Eat together and not separately, for the blessing is associated with the company." Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "It is a part of the sunna that a man should accompany his guest to the door of the house." Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Baihaqi, in Shu‘ab al-iman, transmitted it on the authority both of Abu Huraira and of Ibn 'Abbas, but said there is a weakness in its isnad.

Ibn 'Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, "Good comes more quickly to the house in which food is provided than the knife comes to the camel's hump." 1 1. This tradition speaks of a hospitable house, the camel’s hump is mentioned because it is the first part of the animal from which meat is cut off, as it is considered the most pleasant part of its meat.Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Al-Fujai' al-'Amiri told that he came to the Prophet and asked what animals which had died a natural death might be eaten. He asked what they ate, and on receiving the reply niaghtabiq wa-nastabih, which was explained to Abu Nu'aim by 'Uqba as meaning that they drank a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening, he said, "That, by my father, is hunger," and permitted them in such circumstances to eat what had died a natural death.Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Waqid al-Laithi told that a man said, "Messenger of God, we live in a land where we are afflicted by hunger, so when may we eat animals which have died a natural death?" He replied, "As long as you do not have a morning drink or an evening drink or gather vegetables you may eat them," meaning that when you do not find a morning drink or an evening drink, or find a vegetable to eat, animals which have died a natural death are allowable to you. Darimi transmitted it.

Anas said that God's messenger used to breathe three times in the course of a drink. (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version Muslim added that he used to say, "It is more thirst-quenching, healthier and more wholesome."