The Prophet never took his meals at a dining table, nor in small plates, and he never ate thin wellbaked bread. (The sub-narrator asked Qatada, "Over what did they use to take their meals?" Qatada said, "On leather dining sheets."

[Muslim].

We used to give one Sa' of meal or one Sa' of barley or one Sa' of dates, or one Sa' of cottage cheese or one Sa' of Raisins (dried grapes) as Zakat-ul-Fitr.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha heard Anas ibn Malik say that Abu Talha had said to Umm Sulaym, "I have just been listening to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his voice was very weak. I recognised hunger in it, so, do you have anything?" She replied, "Yes," and brought out some barley loaves. She took her long head scarf and wrapped up the bread with part of it and put it into my (Anas's) hand and gave me part of it to wear. Then she sent me to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

Anas continued, "I took it, and I found the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sitting in the mosque with some people. I watched them. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Did Abu Talha send you?' I replied, 'Yes.' He said, 'For food?' I said, 'Yes.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to those with him, 'Let us go.' He set off and I went among them until I came to Abu Talha and told him. Abu Talha said, 'Umm Sulaym! The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has brought people and we have no food. What shall we give them to eat?' She said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' "

Anas continued, "Abu Talha went out and met the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, approached with Abu Talha until they entered. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Come now, Umm Sulaym, what have you got?' She brought out bread. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered it to be broken into pieces, and Umm Sulaym squeezed out onto it a container of clarified butter which she had seasoned. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said whatever Allah wished him to say, and said, 'Will you give permission for ten of them to come in?' He gave them permission, and they ate until they were full and then left. He said, 'Give permission to ten more.' He gave them permission, and they ate until they were full and left. Then he said, 'Give permission to ten more.' He gave them permission and they ate until they were full and left. Then he said, 'Give permission to ten more.' He gave permission and they ate until they were full and left. There were seventy or eighty men."

I was in the company of Talha bin 'Ubaidullah, Sa`d, Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad and `Abdur Rahman bin `Auf and I heard none of them narrating anything from Allah's Apostle but Talha was talking about the day (of the battle) of Uhud.

I have been in the company of `AbdurRahman bin `Auf, Talha bin 'Ubaidullah, Al-Miqdad and Sa`d, and I heard none of them narrating anything from the Prophet excepting the fact that I heard Talha narrating about the day of Uhud (battle) .

In the life-time of the Prophet, Abu Talha did not fast because of the Jihad, but after the Prophet died I never saw him without fasting except on `Id-ul-Fitr and `Id-ul-Aclha.

There was a state of fear in Medina. Allah's Apostle rode a horse belonging to Abu Talha (in order to see the matter). The Prophet said, "We could not see anything, and we found that horse like a sea (fast in speed).

Once there was a feeling of fright at Medina, so Allah's Apostle rode a horse belonging to Abu Talha and (on his return) he said, "We have not seen anything (fearful), but we found this horse very fast."

Whenever a meal was brought to Allah's Apostle, he would ask whether it was a gift or Sadaqa (something given in charity). If he was told that it was Sadaqa, he would tell his companions to eat it, but if it was a gift, he would hurry to share it with them.

There was a feeling of fright in Medina, so the Prophet borrowed a horse called Mandub belonging 'to Abu Talha and mounted it. (On his return), he said, "I did not see anything of fright and I found this horse very fast."

I asked `Abdullah bin Abu `Aufa "Did the Prophet make a will? ' He replied, "No." I further asked, "How comes it that the making of a will was enjoined on the people or that they were ordered to make it? " He said, "The Prophet made a will concerning Allah's Book."

A tailor invited Allah's Apostle to a meal which he had prepared. I went with Allah's Apostle to that meal, and the tailor served the Prophet with barley bread and soup of gourd and cured meat. I saw Allah's Apostle picking the pieces of gourd from around the dish, and since then I have kept on liking gourd.

Malik related to me from Abu'n-Nasr that Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud went to visit Abu Talha al-Ansari when he was ill. He said, "I found Sahl ibn Hunayf with him. Abu Talha summoned a man and removed a rug which was under him. Sahl ibn Hunayf said to him, 'Why did you remove it?' He said, 'Because there were pictures on it, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said what you know about them.' Sahl replied, 'Didn't the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "except for markings on a garment?"' (A rug was considered a garment). He said, 'Yes, but it is more pleasing to myself.' "

While I was serving Abu Talha. Abu Dujana and Abu Suhail bin Al-Baida' with a drink made from a mixture of unripe and ripe dates, alcoholic drinks, were made unlawful, whereupon I threw it away, and I was their butler and the youngest of them, and we used to consider that drink as an alcoholic drink in those days.

Anas said, 'When Allah's Apostle invaded Khaibar, we offered the Fajr prayer there (early in the morning) when it was still dark. The Prophet rode and Abu Talha rode too and I was riding behind Abu Talha. The Prophet passed through the lane of Khaibar quickly and my knee was touching the thigh of the Prophet . He uncovered his thigh and I saw the whiteness of the thigh of the Prophet. When he entered the town, he said, 'Allahu Akbar! Khaibar is ruined. Whenever we approach near a (hostile) nation (to fight) then evil will be the morning of those who have been warned.' He repeated this thrice. The people came out for their jobs and some of them said, 'Muhammad (has come).' (Some of our companions added, "With his army.") We conquered Khaibar, took the captives, and the booty was collected. Dihya came and said, 'O Allah's Prophet! Give me a slave girl from the captives.' The Prophet said, 'Go and take any slave girl.' He took Safiya bint Huyai. A man came to the Prophet and said, 'O Allah's Apostles! You gave Safiya bint Huyai to Dihya and she is the chief mistress of the tribes of Quraidha and An-Nadir and she befits none but you.' So the Prophet said, 'Bring him along with her.' So Dihya came with her and when the Prophet saw her, he said to Dihya, 'Take any slave girl other than her from the captives.' Anas added: The Prophet then manumitted her and married her." Thabit asked Anas, "O Abu Hamza! What did the Prophet pay her (as Mahr)?" He said, "Her self was her Mahr for he manumitted her and then married her." Anas added, "While on the way, Um Sulaim dressed her for marriage (ceremony) and at night she sent her as a bride to the Prophet . So the Prophet was a bridegroom and he said, 'Whoever has anything (food) should bring it.' He spread out a leather sheet (for the food) and some brought dates and others cooking butter. (I think he (Anas) mentioned As-Sawaq). So they prepared a dish of Hais (a kind of meal). And that was Walima (the marriage banquet) of Allah's Apostle ."

Once the people of Medina were frightened, so the Prophet rode a horse belonging to Abu Talha and it ran slowly, or was of narrow paces. When he returned, he said, "I found your (i.e. Abu Talha's) horse very fast. After that the horse could not be surpassed in running..'

Whenever the dining sheet of the Prophet was taken away (i.e., whenever he finished his meal), he used to say: "Al-hamdu li l-lah kathiran taiyiban mubarakan fihi ghaira makfiy wala muWada` wala mustaghna'anhu Rabbuna."

I of all the people know best this verse of Al-Hijab. When Allah's Apostle married Zainab bint Jahsh she was with him in the house and he prepared a meal and invited the people (to it). They sat down (after finishing their meal) and started chatting. So the Prophet went out and then returned several times while they were still sitting and talking. So Allah revealed the Verse: 'O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses until leave is given to you for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation .....ask them from behind a screen.' (33.53) So the screen was set up and the people went away.

Once we provoked a rabbit at Marr-az-Zahran. The people chased it till they got tired. Then I caught It and brought it to Abu Talha, who slaughtered it and then sent both its pelvic pieces (or legs) to the Prophet, and the Prophet accepted the present.

Out of all the Ansar, living in Medina, Abu Talha had the largest number of (date palm trees) gardens, and the most beloved of his property to him was Bairuha garden which was standing opposite the Mosque (of the Prophet). Allah's Apostle used to enter it and drink of its good water. When the Verse:--"By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you spend (in charity) of that which you love." (3.92) Abu Talha got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle, Allah says:--"By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you spend (in charity) of that which you love." (3.92) and the most beloved of my property to me is the Bairuha garden, so I give it (as a charitable gift) in Allah's Cause and hope to receive good out of it, and to have it stored for me with Allah. So, O Allah's Apostle! Dispose it of (i.e. utilize it) in the way Allah orders you (to dispose it of)." Allah's Apostle said, "Bravo! That is a fruitful property! That is a fruitful property! I have heard what you have said and I think that you should distribute that (garden) amongst your relatives." The Abu Talha distributed that garden amongst his relatives and his cousins.

Narrated Yahya bin Yahya:

I learnt from Malik, "..a fruitful property."

Slumber overtook us during the battle of Uhud while we were in the front files. My sword would fall from my hand and I would pick it up, and again it would fall down and I would pick it up again.

I asked `Abdullah bin Abu `Aufa "Did the Prophet make a will?" He replied, "No," I asked him, "How is it then that the making of a will has been enjoined on people, (or that they are ordered to make a will)?" He replied, "The Prophet bequeathed Allah's Book (i.e. Qur'an).

Abu Talha, a companion of Allah's Apostle and one of those who fought at Badr together with Allah's Apostle told me that Allah's Apostle said. "Angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture" He meant the images of creatures that have souls.

The Prophet said, "The superiority of `Aisha to other ladies is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. meat and bread dish) to other meals. Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Mary, the daughter of `Imran and Asia, the wife of Pharaoh."

A man came to the Prophet. The Prophet sent a messenger to his wives (to bring something for that man to eat) but they said that they had nothing except water. Then Allah's Apostle said, "Who will take this (person) or entertain him as a guest?" An Ansar man said, "I." So he took him to his wife and said to her, "Entertain generously the guest of Allah's Apostle " She said, "We have got nothing except the meals of my children." He said, "Prepare your meal, light your lamp and let your children sleep if they ask for supper." So she prepared her meal, lighted her lamp and made her children sleep, and then stood up pretending to mend her lamp, but she put it off. Then both of them pretended to be eating, but they really went to bed hungry. In the morning the Ansari went to Allah's Apostle who said, "Tonight Allah laughed or wondered at your action." Then Allah revealed: "But give them (emigrants) preference over themselves even though they were in need of that And whosoever is saved from the covetousness Such are they who will be successful." (59.9)

We were in the company of the Prophet while returning from 'Usfan, and Allah's Apostle was riding his she-camel keeping Safiya bint Huyay riding behind him. His she-camel slipped and both of them fell down. Abu Talha jumped from his camel and said, "O Allah's Apostle! May Allah sacrifice me for you." The Prophet said, "Take care of the lady." So, Abu Talha covered his face with a garment and went to Safiya and covered her with it, and then he set right the condition of their shecamel so that both of them rode, and we were encircling Allah's Apostle like a cover. When we approached Medina, the Prophet said, "We are returning with repentance and worshipping and praising our Lord." He kept on saying this till he entered Medina.

The Prophet (saws) held a wedding feast for Safiyyah with meal and dates.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been narrated by Hafs b. Ghiyath from Hisham.

We provoked a rabbit at Marr Az-Zahran till it started jumping. My companions chased it till they got tired. But I alone ran after it and caught it and brought it to Abu Talha. He sent both its legs to the Prophet who accepted them.

The family of Muhammad did not eat two meals on one day, but one of the two was of dates.

Allah's Apostle said, "Many amongst men reached (the level of) perfection but none amongst the women reached this level except Asia, Pharaoh's wife, and Mary, the daughter of `Imran. And no doubt, the superiority of `Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. a meat and bread dish) to other meals."

Allah's Apostle said, "Many amongst men attained perfection but amongst women none attained the perfection except Mary, the daughter of `Imran and Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh. And the superiority of `Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. an Arabic dish) to other meals."

Once the people of Medina were frightened, so the Prophet borrowed a horse from Abu Talha called Al-Mandub, and rode it. When he came back he said, "We have not seen anything (to be afraid of), but the horse was very fast (having an energy as inexhaustible as the water of the sea).

Sahl said, "We used to feel happy on Fridays." I asked Sahl, "Why?" He said, "There was an old woman of our acquaintance who used to send somebody to Buda'a (Ibn Maslama said, "Buda'a was a garden of date-palms at Medina). She used to pull out the silq (a kind of vegetable) from its roots and put it in a cooking pot, adding some powdered barley over it (and cook it). After finishing the Jumua (Friday) prayer we used to (pass by her and) greet her, whereupon she would present us with that meal, so we used to feel happy because of that. We used to have neither a midday nap, nor meals, except after the Friday prayer." (See Hadith No. 60, Vol.2)

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Ishaq b. 'Abdullah b. Talha with the same chain of transmitters.

That the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Take the 'Asha' meal, even if it is just with a handful of something to fill. For indeed avoiding the 'Asha' is from senility."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Munkar, we do not know of it except from this route. 'Anbasah was graded weak is Hadith. 'Abdul-Malik bin 'Allaq is unknown.

The Prophet consummated his marriage with a woman (Zainab), so he sent me to invite men to the meals.

`Uthman said that on the day of the battle of Uhud, none remained with the Prophet but Talha and Sa`d.

The Prophet (saws) said: Prayer should not be postponed for taking meals nor for any other thing.

We used to have a midday nap and take our meals after the Jumua (prayer).

As above with the addition: We never had an afternoon nap nor meals except after offering the Jumua prayer.

Allah's Apostle said, "The poor person is not the one who goes round the people and ask them for a mouthful or two (of meals) or a date or two but the poor is that who has not enough (money) to satisfy his needs and whose condition is not known to others, that others may give him something in charity, and who does not beg of people."

Allah's Apostle said, "The superiority of `Aisha over other women is like the superiority of Tharid to other meals."

We used to be happy on Fridays, for there was an old lady who used to pull out the roots of Silq and put it in a cooking pot with some barley. When we had finished the prayer, we would visit her and she would present that dish before us. So we used to be happy on Fridays because of that, and we never used to take our meals or have a mid-day nap except after the Friday prayer. By Allah, that meal contained no fat.

(the mother of the believers) Um Sulaim, the wife of Abu Talha, came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Verily Allah is not shy of (telling you) the truth. Is it necessary for a woman to take a bath after she has a wet dream (nocturnal sexual discharge)?" Allah's Apostle replied, "Yes, if she notices a discharge."

The Prophet (saws) said: Associate only with a believer, and let only a God-fearing man eat your meals.

Amrah said on the authority of Aisha that she would steep dates for the Messenger of Allah (saws) in the morning. When the evening came, he took his dinner and drank it after his dinner. If anything remained, she poured it out. She then would steep for him at night. When the morning came, he took his morning meal and drank it after his morning meal. She said: The skin vessel was washed in the morning and in the evening. My father (Hayyan) said to her: Twice a day? She said: Yes.

I used to take the "Suhur" meal with my family and hasten so as to catch the Fajr (morning prayer) with Allah's Apostle.

I used to take my Suhur meals with my family and then hurry up for presenting myself for the (Fajr) prayer with Allah's Apostle.

The Prophet decreed that one should not eat two dates together at a time unless he gets the permission from his companions (sharing the meal with him).