The Prophet’s Hospitality and Honoring of Guests

The Prophet’s Hospitality and Honoring of Guests

The Prophet (PBUH) and his companions often endured long stretches of hunger. Only when the pain of starvation became entirely unbearable would they mention it to others. Yet, whatever little food they had at home was always happily offered up to entertain and honor their guests. They never turned a guest away or treated them with anything less than deep respect. The following Hadith beautifully illustrates the Prophet’s (PBUH) remarkable hospitality.

Miqdad (RA) narrated: "My two companions and I were so desperately hungry that we were actually starting to lose our hearing and eyesight. We approached several of the Prophet’s (PBUH) companions for help, but no one had anything to spare. Finally, we went to the Prophet (PBUH), and he brought us to his home. There were three goats there. He told us, 'Milk these goats, and we will all share the milk.'

From then on, we would milk the goats, and each of us would drink our designated share, always setting aside the Prophet’s (PBUH) portion. He would usually come home late at night and offer the greeting of peace (salam) in a gentle voice just loud enough for anyone awake to hear, but quiet enough not to disturb anyone sleeping.

After greeting us," Miqdad continued, "he would go to the mosque to pray, and then return to drink his milk. But one night, Satan came to whisper to me. I had already finished my share, but Satan planted a thought in my mind: 'Muhammad (PBUH) has gone to the Ansar. They will surely offer him a feast, so he won't even need this tiny bit of milk.' Convinced, I went over and drank his share too.

The moment I swallowed the last drop, I realized my terrible mistake; there was no way to get more milk out of those goats. At that point, Satan backed away and mocked me, saying, 'You are doomed! What have you done? You drank the Prophet’s milk! When he wakes up and finds it gone, he will pray against you, and you will be utterly ruined in this life and the next.'

I had a small sheet covering me. If I pulled it up over my head, my feet stuck out; if I pulled it down to cover my feet, my head was exposed. I lay there tossing and turning, unable to sleep out of sheer panic. My two friends were sleeping soundlythey hadn't done what I just did.

Soon enough, the Prophet (PBUH) arrived, offered his usual gentle greeting, went to the mosque to pray, and then came back for his milk. He lifted the lid of the vessel, only to find it completely empty. Then, he raised his head toward the sky. I thought to myself, 'This is it. He is going to curse me, and I am finished.'

Instead, he prayed: 'O Allah! Feed the one who feeds me, and give drink to the one who gives me drink.'

Hearing this, I quickly wrapped my sheet around myself, grabbed a knife, and rushed out to the goats, planning to slaughter the fattest one for the Prophet (PBUH) to eat. But when I got there, I was stunned to see that its udders were completely full of milk and so were the others! I rushed back, grabbed a large vessel the family didn't even normally use for milking, and milked the goats until a thick froth formed at the top.

I brought it straight to the Prophet (PBUH). He looked at me and asked, 'Did you all already drink your night portions?' I just said, 'O Messenger of Allah, please drink.' He took a drink and handed the vessel back to me.

I urged him, 'Please, drink some more.' He drank again and handed it back. Once I saw that he was fully satisfied and realized that I had intercepted his beautiful prayer, I dropped to the ground, laughing so hard I could barely breathe.

The Prophet (PBUH) looked at me and said, 'Miqdad, what kind of mischief have you been up to?' I confessed the entire story to him. Smiling, the Prophet (PBUH) said, 'This milk was nothing but a direct mercy from Allah! Why didn't you tell me earlier? We could have woken up your two friends so they could share in it too.'

I replied, 'I swear by the One who sent you with the truth, as long as you got your share and I got to share in this blessing with you, I do not care about anyone else!'" (Sahih Muslim 2055; Musnad Ahmad 23863; Tirmidhi 2719).

Lessons to Learn:

This story highlights the intense physical hardships and severe poverty the emigrant (Muhajir) companions faced in Medina.

It showcases the unmatched hospitality of the Prophet (PBUH). He happily hosted Miqdad and his friends despite his own desperate lack of resources.

It teaches the proper etiquette for coming home at night. The Prophet (PBUH) would enter quietly and greet his household in a gentle voice so as not to startle those awake or disturb those asleep.

It highlights the Sunnah of praying two units (rak'ahs) of prayer in the mosque after returning from a journey or being out, before coming home and offering greetings.

The story illustrates how deeply the companions loved the Prophet (PBUH) and how terrified they were of disappointing him or earning his anger.

It proves that the Prophet (PBUH) never held grudges, sought revenge, or lost his temper over the loss of his own worldly food or possessions.

May Allah grant us all the ability to implement these beautiful lessons into our daily lives. Ameen!