Be Gracious To Your Guests

Being kind and gracious to your guests is a key etiquette of Islam, and one which the Prophet SAW took very seriously:

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should serve his guest generously by giving him his reward.” It was asked. “What is his reward, O Messaġġier ta’ Allah?” Hu qal, “The guest’s reward is to be provided with a superior type of food for a night and a day, and a guest is to be entertained with food for three days; whatever is offered beyond that is regarded as a charitable gift. And it is not lawful for a guest to stay with his host for such a long period so as to put him in a critical position.”

[Bukhari]

Għalhekk, the right of the guest is that he should be entertained for three days, and the right of the host is that they may be relieved of hosting after the three day period.

F'hadith ieħor, the Prophet SAW was asked: “O Messaġġier ta’ Allah! If I visit a man, and he does not entertain me or show hospitality, and later this man visits me, should I entertain him or treat him in the way he treated me?” The Prophet SAW replied, “Entertain him.”

[Tirmidhi]

This hadith clearly states that regardless of how YOU have been treated, you must STILL be gracious to your guest. In this is barakah for you from Allah SWT as mentioned by our beloved Messenger SAW:

“Good comes more quickly to the house in which food is provided [to the guests] than the knife comes to the camels’ hump”

[Ibn Majah |]

The Prophet SAW was known to be extremely generous to his guests, and we should also be of those who extend hospitality to all guests so we ourselves may be increased in goodness.

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