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."
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. 2
2. See p. 684.
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."
'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."
