True Muslims whose soul is filled with generosity will naturally be hospitable, welcoming their guest warmly and cheerfully hastening to honor him, acting upon the Islamic attitude which is deeply rooted in his heart and which is based on belief in Allah (SWT) and the last Day. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

The one who honors his guest thus confirms that he is a believer in Allah and the Last Day. Therefore, this honoring of the guest is called a reward that is given to the guest as if thanking him for the opportunity he has given to his host to do a good deed, put his faith into practice, and please Allah. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest by giving him his reward.” They asked, “What is his reward, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “One day and one night. The right of hospitality is three days, and anything beyond that is an act of charity.”  (Bukhari and Muslim)

Honoring guests is regarded in Islam as a great deed that is encouraged, and for which the sincere Muslim will be rewarded. But Islam regulated it and set limits for it. The “reward” of the guest is one day and one night, then comes the duty of hospitality, which is three days. Anything beyond that is an act of charity that will be recorded among the good deeds of the hospitable generous man.

In Islam, honoring the guest is not a matter of choice to be followed or not according to one’s mood or personal feelings. It is a duty of the Muslim, which he must hasten to fulfill as soon as a guest knocks on his door or enters his yard. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Accommodating a guest for one night is an absolute duty of every Muslim. Whoever gets up in the morning and finds a guest waiting in his yard has a duty to fulfill, and it is up to him what he will do about it.” (Bukhari)

Those who do not like to receive a guest and close their doors to him are not good people, as is stated in the Hadith reported by Imam Ahmad, in which the Prophet (SAW) said: “There is no goodness in the one who is not hospitable.” (Imam Ahmad)

Islam has made hospitality the duty of every Muslim and considers it to be the guest’s right. No Muslim should fall short in carrying out his duty. If a spirit of miserliness has overtaken a people to the extent that they deny their guest his right, then Islam permits the guest to take his right from them. This is seen in the Hadith narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, and others from Uqbah ibn Aamir, who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you are sending us to people who do not feed us. What do you think about this?’ He said, ‘If you go to a people and they order that something appropriate be brought (i.e., food and drink), then accept it, and if they do not do that, then take the things you as a guest are entitled to, that they should have provided.’”

Hospitality is a basic Islamic attitude, so you will never find a Muslim whose Islam is genuine being stingy to his guest, no matter what his circumstances are. Islam has taught him that the food of two people will feed three and that the food of three will feed four. So he needs never worry about an unexpected guest knocking suddenly at his door.

Abu Hurairah (RA) said, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “The food of two people is enough for three, and the food of three is enough for four.” (Bukhari and Muslim). Jabir (RA) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) say, ‘The food of one is enough for two, the food for two is enough for four, and the food for four is enough for eight.’” (Muslim)

The true Muslim does not worry about there being too many people at the table, unlike the Westerner who does not offer food to an unexpected guest for whom he has not prepared food in advance. The Muslim welcomes the unexpected guest and invites him to share his food, no matter that his own share may be reduced by a few mouthfuls.

The true Muslim prefers hunger to ignoring the rights of his guest, whom Allah and His Messenger have commanded him to honor. Indeed, Allah will bless the food of one so that it will become enough for two, and He will bless the food of two so that it will become enough for four, and so on. There is no need for that dryness and inhospitality for which Western-influenced materialistic people are suffering in both East and West.

The true Muslim should also be smart and aware. If he is a guest, he should take note of his brother’s circumstances and not stay relaxed in a way that might cause embarrassment or annoyance to his host. The Prophet (SAW) taught the Muslim not to be such a burden on his host, as this is against the spirit of Islam.

The true Muslim is a well-mannered guest, following the wise teachings of Islam concerning the behavior of a guest. He avoids being a burden on his host and responds politely to his invitations and directions.

by Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi