"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon me and said: 'Do you have anything?' I said: 'No, except a piece of hard bread and vinegar.' so he said: 'Bring it, for a house that has vinegar is not impoverished of condiments."
[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Gharib from this route. We do not know of it as a Hadith of Umm Hani' except through this route. Abu Hamzah Ath-Thumali's (a narrator in the chain) name is Thabit bin Abi Safiyyah. And Umm Hani' died some time after 'Ali bin Abi Talib. I asked Muhammad about this Hadith. He said: "I do not know Ash-Sha'bi hearing from Umm Hani'." So I said: "How is Abu Hamzah according to you?" He said: "Ahmad bin Hanbal criticized him, but he is Muqarib (average) in Hadith to me."
The Book on Food - Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Hadith Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1841
Hadith Text
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon me and said: 'Do you have anything?' I said: 'No, except a piece of hard bread and vinegar.' so he said: 'Bring it, for a house that has vinegar is not impoverished of condiments."
Scholarly Commentary
This hadith demonstrates the noble character and simplicity of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), who accepted whatever food was available without complaint. The vinegar mentioned refers to date vinegar, commonly used as a condiment in that era.
The Prophet's statement "a house that has vinegar is not impoverished of condiments" teaches contentment with what Allah provides and shows that even simple foods can complete a meal. This reflects the Islamic principle of gratitude and avoiding extravagance.
Scholars note that vinegar has nutritional benefits and enhances the flavor of simple foods, making it a valuable household item. The Prophet's approval of this simple meal serves as a lesson in humility and satisfaction with modest provisions.
Chain of Narration Analysis
As noted by Imam Tirmidhi, this hadith is Hasan Gharib (good and rare) through this particular chain. The narrator Abu Hamzah Ath-Thumali (Thabit bin Abi Safiyyah) is considered Muqarib (average) in reliability by some scholars, though Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal criticized him.
The uncertainty about whether Ash-Sha'bi directly heard from Umm Hani' indicates careful scholarly scrutiny of the transmission chain, demonstrating the meticulous methodology of hadith verification.