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.
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!"
'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.
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."
