Food, Meals — Hadith 345

English Translation

Narrated Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari: 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.