الضِّيافَة

HOSPITALITY

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2– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The guest arrives bringing his own sustenance and leaves taking away the sins of his hosts.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 75, p. 461, no. 14]

3- The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Sustenance comes to those who feed others faster than a knife can cut though flesh.’
[al-Mahasin, v. 2, p. 147, no. 1388]

4- The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Any house which is not visited by guests is not visited by angels either.’

5– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘He who has been granted wealth by Allah must use it to maintain relations with his kin and to entertain guests.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 142]

6– Imam Ali (AS) was once seen sad and asked the reason for it, so he replied, ‘Because it has been seven days since we have had no guests.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 41, p. 28, no. 1]

7– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Invite one whom you love in the way of Allah to partake of your food as a guest.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 25881]

8– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘It is an abominable act to accept the invitation of someone whose banquet is only attended by the rich and not the poor.’
[al-Da`aawat, p. 141, no. 358]

9– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘I advise both the present and the absent ones from my community to accept the invitation of a fellow Muslim, even if it be five miles away, for verily that is a part of religion.’
[al-Mahasin, v. 2, p. 180, no. 1510]

10– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘It is loathsome that a man be invited to a meal and does not accept, or accepts but does not eat.’
[Qurb al-Isnad, p. 160, no. 583]

11– The Prophet (SAWA) said to Abu Dharr, exhorting him, ‘Do not partake of the food of corrupt people.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77, p. 84, no. 3]

12– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘It is enough of a sin for a man to deem that which brings him close to his fellow brothers as burdensome, and it is enough of a sin for a people to deem burdensome that which draws a fellow brother close to them.’
[al-Mahasin, v. 2, p. 186, no. 1533]

13– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘No one should go to troubles that they cannot afford for a guest.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 25876]

14– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘If your brother comes to your house
[uninvited] then offer him whatever you have in the house, and if you invite him, then make a special effort for him.’
[al-Mahasin, v. 2, p. 179, no. 1506]

15– Imam al-Rida (AS) narrated, ‘A man once invited the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (AS) for a meal, so Imam said to him, ‘I will accept your invitation provided you fulfil three conditions.’ The man asked, ‘And what are they, O Commander of the Faithful?’ to which he replied, ‘Do not bring any special food from outside for me, do not preserve anything in the house especially for me, and do not impose any difficulty on your family.’ The man replied, ‘You shall have that O Commander of the Faithful’ and Ali b. Abi Talib accepted his invitation.’
[`Uyoun Akhbar al-Ridha (AS), v. 2, p. 42, no. 138]

16– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Whoever wants to be loved by Allah and His Prophet should eat with his guest.’
[Tanbih al-Khawatir, v. 2, p. 116]

17– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘When one of you is invited for a meal, he must not bring along his son with him too, for verily it is prohibited for him to do so and he enters the house unlawfully.’
[al-Mahasin, v. 2, p. 181, no. 1515]

18– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘A guest may expect to be honoured for two nights, then from the third night onwards he is considered to be one of the family and must eat whatever he gets.’
[al-Kafi, v. 6, p. 183, no. 6]

19– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Hospitality towards a guest is incumbent for the first day, the second day and the third day. After that, anything you give him is considered as charity towards him on your behalf.’
[al-Kafi, v. 6, p. 183, no. 2]

20– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Hosting a banquet the first day is reasonable, the second day is an act of courtesy, and any more than that is showing-off and seeking repute.’
[al-Kafi, v. 5, p. 368, no. 4]

21– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘When someone enters the house of his fellow brother, he must sit wherever the host tells him to sit for the owner of the house knows the flaws of his own house better than the guest.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 75, p. 451, no. 2]

22– Ibn Abi Ya`afur narrated, ‘I saw a guest once at Abi `Aabdillah’s
[i.e. Imam al-Sadiq (AS)] house, who stood up to get something he needed, so Imam refused for him to do so, and stood up to get it himself, saying, ‘The Prophet of Allah (AS) prohibited that a guest be allowed to do work.’
[al-Kafi, v. 6, p. 283, no. 1]