There was an Ansari man nicknamed, Abu Shu'aib, who had a slave who was a butcher. He came to the Prophet while he was sitting with his companions and noticed the signs of hunger on the face of the Prophet . So he went to his butcher slave and said, "Prepare for me a meal sufficient for five persons so that I may invite the Prophet along with four other men." He had the meal prepared for him and invited him. A (sixth) man followed them. The Prophet said, "O Abu Shu'aib! Another man has followed us. If you wish, you may invite him; and if you wish, you may refuse him." Abu Shu'aib said, "No, I will admit him."

There was an Ansari man called Abu Shu'aib who had a slave butcher. Abu Shu'aib said to him, "Prepare a meal sufficient for five persons so that I might invite the Prophet besides other four persons." Abu Shu'aib had seen the signs of hunger on the face of the Prophet and so he invited him. Another man who was not invited, followed the Prophet. The Prophet said to Abu Shu'aib, "This man has followed us. Do you allow him to share the meal?" Abu Shu'aib said, "Yes."

An Ansari man, called Abu Shu'aib, came and told his butcher slave, "Prepare meals sufficient for five persons, for I want to invite the Prophet along with four other persons as I saw signs of hunger on his face." Abu Shu'aib invited them and another person came along with them. The Prophet said (to Abu Shu'aib), This man followed us, so if you allow him, he will join us, and if you want him to return, he will go back." Abu Shu'aib said, "No, I have allowed him (i.e. he, too, is welcomed to the meal).

There was a man called Abu Shu'aib, and he had a slave who was a butcher. He said (to his slave), "Prepare a meal to which I may invite Allah's Apostle along with four other men." So he invited Allah's Apostle and four other men, but another man followed them whereupon the Prophet said, "You have invited me as one of five guests, but now another man has followed us. If you wish you can admit him, and if you wish you can refuse him." On that the host said, "But I admit him." Narrated Muhammad bin Isma`il: If guests are sitting at a dining table, they do not have the right to carry food from other tables to theirs, but they can pass on food from their own table to each other; otherwise they should leave it.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Ali (Allah be pleased with him) with another chain of transmitters, but there is no mention of the wages of the butcher in it.

The Prophet ordered me to supervise the (slaughtering) of Budn (Hadi camel) and to distribute their meat, skins and covering sheets in charity and not to give anything (of their bodies) to the butcher as wages for slaughtering.

The Prophet said, "When your servant brings your meals to you then if he does not let him sit and share the meals, then he should at least give him a mouthful or two mouthfuls of that meal or a meal or two meals, as he has prepared it."

The Prophet sent me to supervise the (slaughtering of) Budn (Hadi camels) and ordered me to distribute their meat, and then he ordered me to distribute their covering sheets and skins. 'All added, "The Prophet ordered me to supervise the slaughtering (of the Budn) and not to give anything (of their bodies) to the butcher as wages for slaughtering."

Abu Bakr came with a guest or some guests, but he stayed late at night with the Prophet and when he came, my mother said (to him), "Have you been detained from your guest or guests tonight?" He said, "Haven't you served the supper to them?" She replied, "We presented the meal to him (or to them), but he (or they) refused to eat." Abu Bakr became angry, rebuked me and invoked Allah to cause (my) ears to be cut and swore not to eat of it!" I hid myself, and he called me, "O ignorant (boy)!" Abu Bakr's wife swore that she would not eat of it and so the guests or the guest swore that they would not eat of it till he ate of it. Abu Bakr said, "All that happened was from Satan." So he asked for the meals and ate of it, and so did they. Whenever they took a handful of the meal, the meal grew (increased) from underneath more than that mouthful. He said (to his wife), "O, sister of Bani Firas! What is this?" She said, "O, pleasure of my eyes! The meal is now more than it had been before we started eating'' So they ate of it and sent the rest of that meal to the Prophet. It is said that the Prophet also ate of it.

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."

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.

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.

Abu Bakr invited a group of people and told me, "Look after your guests." Abu Bakr added, I am going to visit the Prophet and you should finish serving them before I return." `Abdur-Rahman said, So I went at once and served them with what was available at that time in the house and requested them to eat." They said, "Where is the owner of the house (i.e., Abu Bakr)?" `Abdur-Rahman said, "Take your meal." They said, "We will not eat till the owner of the house comes." `Abdur-Rahman said, "Accept your meal from us, for if my father comes and finds you not having taken your meal yet, we will be blamed severely by him, but they refused to take their meals . So I was sure that my father would be angry with me. When he came, I went away (to hide myself) from him. He asked, "What have you done (about the guests)?" They informed him the whole story. Abu Bakr called, "O `Abdur Rahman!" I kept quiet. He then called again. "O `Abdur-Rahman!" I kept quiet and he called again, "O ignorant (boy)! I beseech you by Allah, if you hear my voice, then come out!" I came out and said, "Please ask your guests (and do not be angry with me)." They said, "He has told the truth; he brought the meal to us." He said, "As you have been waiting for me, by Allah, I will not eat of it tonight." They said, "By Allah, we will not eat of it till you eat of it." He said, I have never seen a night like this night in evil. What is wrong with you? Why don't you accept your meals of hospitality from us?" (He said to me), "Bring your meal." I brought it to him, and he put his hand in it, saying, "In the name of Allah. The first (state of fury) was because of Satan." So Abu Bakr ate and so did his guests.

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

Allah's Apostle said, "I do not take my meals while leaning (against something).

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

I heard Anas bin Malik saying, "A tailor invited Allah's Apostle to a meal which he had prepared. " Anas bin Malik said, "I accompanied Allah's Apostle to that meal. He served the Prophet with bread and soup made with gourd and dried meat. I saw the Prophet taking the pieces of gourd from the dish." Anas added, "Since that day I have continued to like gourd."

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 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.

While I was with the Prophet he said to a man who was with him, "I do not take my meals while leaning."

The Prophet said, "If I am invited to a meal of trotters I will accept it; and if I am given a trotter as a present I will accept it."

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).

The Prophet said, "The poor person is not the one who asks a morsel or two (of meals) from the others, but the poor is the one who has nothing and is ashamed to beg from others."

The Prophet said, "I shall accept the invitation even if I were invited to a meal of a sheep's trotter, and I shall accept the gift even if it were an arm or a trotter of a sheep."

The companions of Suffa were poor people. The Prophet once said, "Whoever has food enough for two persons, should take a third one (from among them), and whoever has food enough for four persons, should take a fifth or a sixth (or said something similar)." Abu Bakr brought three persons while the Prophet took ten. And Abu Bakr with his three family member (who were I, my father and my mother) (the sub-narrator is in doubt whether `Abdur-Rahman said, "My wife and my servant who was common for both my house and Abu Bakr's house.") Abu Bakr took his supper with the Prophet and stayed there till he offered the `Isha' prayers. He returned and stayed till Allah's Apostle took his supper. After a part of the night had passed, he returned to his house. His wife said to him, "What has detained you from your guests?" He said, "Have you served supper to them?" She said, "They refused to take supper until you come. They (i.e. some members of the household) presented the meal to them but they refused (to eat)" I went to hide myself and he said, "O Ghunthar!" He invoked Allah to cause my ears to be cut and he rebuked me. He then said (to them): Please eat!" and added, I will never eat the meal." By Allah, whenever we took a handful of the meal, the meal grew from underneath more than that handful till everybody ate to his satisfaction; yet the remaining food was more than the original meal. Abu Bakr saw that the food was as much or more than the original amount. He called his wife, "O sister of Bani Firas!" She said, "O pleasure of my eyes. The food has been tripled in quantity." Abu Bakr then started eating thereof and said, "It (i.e. my oath not to eat) was because of Sa all." He took a handful from it, and carried the rest to the Prophet. So that food was with the Prophet . There was a treaty between us and some people, and when the period of that treaty had elapsed, he divided US into twelve groups, each being headed by a man. Allah knows how many men were under the command of each leader. Anyhow, the Prophet surely sent a leader with each group. Then all of them ate of that meal.

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)

The Messenger of Allah (saws) invited me to a meal shortly before dawn in Ramadan saying: Come to the blessed morning meal.

Bilal used to pronounce the Adhan at night, so Allah's Apostle? said, "Carry on taking your meals (eat and drink) till Ibn Um Maktum pronounces the Adhan, for he does not pronounce it till it is dawn.

To the best of my knowledge, the Prophet did not take his meals in a big tray at all, nor did he ever eat well-baked thin bread, nor did he ever eat at a dining table.

When the Prophet married Zainab, the people came and were offered a meal, and then they sat down (after finishing their meals) and started chatting. The Prophet showed as if he wanted to get up, but they did not get up. When he noticed that, he got up, and some of the people also got up and went away, while some others kept on sitting. When the Prophet returned to enter, he found the people still sitting, but then they got up and left. So I told the Prophet of their departure and he came and went in. I intended to go in but the Prophet put a screen between me and him, for Allah revealed:-- 'O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses..' (33.53)

The Prophet said, "Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands. The Prophet of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor."

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.

A meal was brought to Allah's Apostle while his step-son, `Umar bin Abi Salama was with him. Allah's Apostle said to him, "Mention the Name of Allah and eat of the dish what is nearer to you."

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)

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.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been transmitted by 'Abd al-A'la from Ibn Ishaq who said: Abu Majidah is a man of Banu Sahm narrating from 'Umar b. al-Khattab.

Who was the son of Um Salama, the wife of the Prophet: Once I ate a meal with Allah's Apostle and I was eating from all sides of the dish. So Allah's Apostle said to me, "Eat of the dish what is nearer to you."

The Prophet said, "When a woman gives in charity from her house meals in Allah's Cause without spoiling her husband's property, she will get a reward for it, and her husband will also get the reward for his earnings and the storekeeper will get a reward likewise."

Allah's Apostle said, "When a woman gives in charity from her husband's meals without wasting the property of her husband, she will get a reward for it, and her husband too will get a reward for what he earned and the storekeeper will have the reward likewise."

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."

Abdullah ibn Ubaydullah ibn Umayr said: I was with my father in the time of Ibn az-Zubayr sitting beside Abdullah ibn Umar. Then Abbad ibn Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr said: We have heard that the evening meal is taken just before the night prayer. Thereupon Abdullah ibn Umar said: Woe to you! what was their evening meal? Do you think it was like the meal of your father?

When Allah's Apostle married Zainab bint Jahsh, he invited the people to a meal. They took the meal and remained sitting and talking. Then the Prophet (showed them) as if he is ready to get up, yet they did not get up. When he noticed that (there was no response to his movement), he got up, and the others too, got up except three persons who kept on sitting. The Prophet came back in order to enter his house, but he went away again. Then they left, whereupon I set out and went to the Prophet to tell him that they had departed, so he came and entered his house. I wanted to enter along with him, but he put a screen between me and him. Then Allah revealed: 'O you who believe! Do not enter the houses of the Prophet...' (33.53)

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."

I found the Prophet in the mosque along with some people. He said to me, "Did Abu Talha send you?" I said, "Yes". He said, "For a meal?" I said, "Yes." Then he said to his companions, "Get up." They set out and I was ahead of them.

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."

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."

No doubt, the Prophet mortgaged his armor for barley grams. Once I took barley bread with some dissolved fat on it to the Prophet and I heard him saying, "The household of Muhammad did not possess except a Sa (of food grain, barley, etc.) for both the morning and the evening meals although they were nine houses."

Allah's Apostle visited a household among the Ansars, and he took a meal with them. When he intended to leave, he asked for a place in that house for him, to pray so a mat sprinkled with water was put and he offered prayer over it, and invoked for Allah's Blessing upon them (his hosts).

A tailor invited the Prophet to a meal which he had prepared, and I went along with the Prophet . The tailor presented barley bread and soup containing gourd and cured meat. I saw the Prophet picking the pieces of gourd from around the dish, and since then I have kept on liking gourd.

The Prophet said, "If a woman gives in charity from her house meals without wasting (i.e. being extravagant), she will get the reward for her giving, and her husband will also get the reward for his earning and the storekeeper will also get a similar reward. The acquisition of the reward of none of them will reduce the reward of the others."

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."

Zaid bin Thabit said, "We took the "Suhur" (the meal taken before dawn while fasting is observed) with the Prophet and then stood up for the (morning) prayer." I asked him how long the interval between the two (Suhur and prayer) was. He replied, 'The interval between the two was just sufficient to recite fifty to Sixth 'Ayat."

Anas bin Malik said, "The Prophet and Zaid bin Thabit took the 'Suhur' together and after finishing the meal, the Prophet stood up and prayed (Fajr prayer)." I asked Anas, "How long was the interval between finishing their 'Suhur' and starting the prayer?" He replied, "The interval between the two was just sufficient to recite fifty 'Ayat." (Verses of the Qur'an).

A tailor invited Allah's Apostle to a meal which he had prepared. I went along with Allah's Apostle and saw him seeking to eat the pieces of gourd from the various sides of the dish. Since that day I have liked to eat gourd. `Umar bin Abi Salama said: The Prophet, said to me, "Eat with your right hand."

The Prophet said, "If a woman gives in charity from her husband's house .." The Prophet (p.b.u.h) also said, "If a lady gives meals (in charity) from her husband's house without spoiling her husband's property, she will get a reward and her husband will also get a reward likewise. The husband will get a reward because of his earnings and the woman because of her spending."

There was a relation of love and brotherhood between this tribe of Jarm and Al-Ash`ariyin. Once we were with Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, and then a meal containing chicken was brought to Abu Musa, and there was present, a man from the tribe of Taimillah who was of red complexion as if he were from non-Arab freed slaves. Abu Musa invited him to the meal. He said, "I have seen chickens eating dirty things, so I deemed it filthy and took an oath that I would never eat chicken." On that, Abu Musa said, "Get up, I will narrate to you about that. Once a group of the Ash`ariyin and I went to Allah's Apostle and asked him to provide us with mounts; he said, 'By Allah, I will never give you any mounts nor do I have anything to mount you on.' Then a few camels of war booty were brought to Allah's Apostle , and he asked about us, saying, 'Where are the Ash-'ariyin?' He then ordered five nice camels to be given to us, and when we had departed, we said, 'What have we done? Allah's Apostle had taken the oath not to give us any mounts, and that he had nothing to mount us on, and later he gave us that we might ride? Did we take advantage of the fact that Allah's Apostle had forgotten his oath? By Allah, we will never succeed.' So we went back to him and said to him, 'We came to you to give us mounts, and you took an oath that you would not give us any mounts and that you had nothing to mount us on.' On that he said, 'I did not provide you with mounts, but Allah did. By Allah, if I take an oath to do something, and then find something else better than it, I do that which is better and make expiation for the dissolution of the oath.' "

The Prophet came to Khaibar and when Allah made him victorious and he conquered the town by breaking the enemy's defense, the beauty of Safiya bint Huyai bin Akhtab was mentioned to him and her husband had been killed while she was a bride. Allah's Apostle selected her for himself and he set out in her company till he reached Sadd-ar-Rawha' where her menses were over and he married her. Then Hais (a kind of meal) was prepared and served on a small leather sheet (used for serving meals). Allah's Apostle then said to me, "Inform those who are around you (about the wedding banquet)." So that was the marriage banquet given by Allah's Apostle for (his marriage with) Safiya. After that we proceeded to Medina and I saw that Allah's Apostle was covering her with a cloak while she was behind him. Then he would sit beside his camel and let Safiya put her feet on his knees to ride (the camel).

The Prophet said, "The call (or the Adhan) of Bilal should not stop you from taking the Suhur-meals for Bilal calls (or pronounces the Adhan) so that the one who is offering the night prayer should take a rest, and he does not indicate the daybreak or dawn." The narrator, Yazid, described (how dawn breaks) by stretching out his hands and then separating them wide apart.

It was narrated from a man from Banu Sahm, from Ibn Majidah as-Sahmi, that he said: Abu Bakr led us on Hajj, during his caliphate, and he mentioned the same hadeeth.

Abu Usaid As-Sa'di invited Allah's Apostle to his wedding party and his wife who was the bride, served them on that day. Do you know what drink she gave Allah's Apostle? She had soaked some dates for him (in water) overnight, and when he had finished his meal she gave him that drink (of soaked dates).