Courtesy to the visitor

On the authority of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good things or keep silent. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be courteous and generous to his neighbour. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be courteous and generous to his [travelling] visitor.” (Recorded in al-Bukhari and Muslim)

 

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be courteous and generous to his [travelling] visitor.” 

The Messenger of Allah (s) stated that whoever  believes in Allah and the Last Day should also be generous and courteous to their visitor. This kind of courtesy and generosity includes taking care of their needs, preparing food for them and making them feel comfortable without extravagance or waste.

The implication of this is that wherever the Muslim travels, if they call on their fellow Muslims, they should be made to feel at home. This, in turn, increases the feelings of brotherhood, sisterhood and love amongst the Ummah. The reference here is particularly to the guest who is arriving from outside of a town or a further away place, there are different obligations for one who is a local guest.

In respect to the duration of stay and therefore the obligation to serve the guest, another hadith states:

” Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be generous to his guest. His jaaizah [special gift] is one day and night. He is to be entertained for three days. Whatever is beyond that is charity. It is not lawful for a guest to stay with his host to the point that he makes things difficult for him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

As human beings we are generally sociable creatures, and out of necessity, we have certain relationships with other members of society. Islam provides us with guidelines and sound principles for what our obligations are in respect to the treatment of one another. We should show kindness, generosity and courtesy to our kinsfolk, neighbours and guests, and our fellow Muslims should not fear any harmful speech from us. These principles go a long way in making sure that society as a whole operates in a united and co-operative way.