|
 Muhammad
was also a very hospitable person, even before he was raised to the
status of a Prophet. Nobody ever went away from him empty handed. He
used to feed the poor, the needy, the widows and orphans and was
very popular among the people of Makkah. In Madinah, his hospitality
knew no bounds and his house was open to all, rich and poor, friend
and foe. All came to him and were treated very generously. People
used to come in large numbers from all directions, and he
entertained them all and served them personally.
His
hospitality was not confined to Muslims alone, but was extended to
all human beings, irrespective of status or creed. Polytheists and
Jews were his guests and he entertained them all, without any
distinction. When a Christian deputation came from Abyssinia, he
kept them in his house and served them personally throughout their
stay. Once when a polytheist was his guest, Muhammad gave him the
milk of one goat and he drank it all. The Prophet gave him the milk
of a second goat, which he drank as well. In this way the guest
drank the milk of seven goats but Muhammad did not stop offering him
milk until he was satisfied.
Sometimes
it so happened that the guests ate all that was available in the
house and nothing was left for the Prophet and his family to eat, so
they had to go without food that night. This was not an unusual
occurrence in the Prophet's house. The poorest and the most
destitute among the Companions were the Ashab As-Suffah, who were
homeless and lived in the mosque as permanent guests of the Muslims.
Most of the time they were the guests of Muhammad. Once he said,
"Anyone who has enough food for two persons should take three
of them, he who has enough for four should take five of them with
him." Abu Bakr took three of them with him while Muhammad took
ten of them with him.
Abu
Hurayrah told a very distressing story of his hunger and starvation
when he was one of the Ashab As-Suffah. He said, "Once in utter
starvation, I sat on the main highway. Abu Bakr passed that way and
I, to invite his attention to my humble state, asked him about a
verse of the Qur'an. He went by and did not take any notice of my
condition. The same thing happened with `Umar, and he also did not
pay much attention to me. Then Allah's Messenger came along and,
seeing me, smiled and said, 'Come with me.' When he arrived home, he
saw a bowl of milk and enquired about it. He was told that it was
sent as a gift to him. He asked me to bring all of Ashab As-Suffah.
I brought them all with me. He gave me the bowl of milk and asked me
to distribute it among them all. I was wondering how this bowl would
satisfy them all. However, I passed it to them and everyone drank
his fill, and finally I drank until I was satisfied and gave the
remaining to the Prophet.” Miraculously, that one bowl of milk fed
them all.
As
in all he did, Muhammad taught his Companions by his words as well
as his deeds. |
