17. Visiting and Guests

17. Visiting and Guests

chapter 158. Do not honour your guest in a way which will be burdensome for him

344. Ibn ‘Awn reported, “They used to say, ‘Do not honour your guest in a way which will be burdensome for him.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: Perhaps the burden referred to here is the friend’s inability to materially repay the favour done to him since we have been told to repay favours done to us. When favour is repeatedly extended to a person by another, the situation may get him to feel some psychological loss of self- esteem.

chapter 159. Visiting

345. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “When a man visits his brothers, Prophet tells him, ‘You have been good and your evening will be good and you can take your place in the Garden.'”
Grade: Hasan (Sound)
Commentary: The hadeeth shows the virtue in visiting the Muslim for the sake of Allah, Alone, whether the one visited is sick or in sound health. It also forms evidence for the fact that Allah the Mighty and Exalted really speaks to His creatures.

346. Umm ad-Darda’ said, “Salman came from al-Mada’in (Ctesiphon) to Syria to visit us on foot wearing a shirt (kisa’) and trousers.” Shawdhab said, “Salman was seen wearing a short with all his hair shaved off and his large ears showing. He was told, ‘You have made yourself ugly.’ He replied, “The real good is the good of the Next World.'”
Grade: Hasan (Sound)
Commentary: The visit of Salman al-Faarisee from Madaain to Abu adDarda (عنهام الله ريض (in Syria is the point of reference in this narration; it shows the keenness of the companions to perform good deeds and earn rewards for them, and their great concern for one another. Ibn Shawdhab had basically heard this report from Malik bin Deenaar who narrated it from Aboo Gaalib on the authority of Umm Dardaa. Therefore, Ibn Shawdhab’s saying that, “Salmān was seen wearing…” is graded Mu’dal i.e. a narration with at least two missing narrators in succession in the chain of transmission. However, the statement, “The real good is the good of the World Hereafter” is authentically reported from the Prophetﷺ with another chain of transmission. See As-Saheehah no. 3198.

chapter 160. Someone who visits people and eats with them

347. Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visited one of the houses of the Ansar and ate some food with them. When he left, he asked for a place in the house and some water was sprinkled on a carpet for him. He prayed on it and made supplication for them.
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: From the perfection of visits is that some food is presented to the visitor. Ibn Battaal (الله رحمه (said, “It is from the things that strengthen friendly-relations and increases mutual love.” The recommendation to partake in such meals is stronger if the visitor is a scholar or is in a position of emulation. It is also encouraged that the visitor supplicates for those he has visited before he departs.

348. ‘Abdullah, the client of Asma’, said, “Asma’ sent me a black wool shirt which had a brocade border a span wide on its sleeves. She said, ‘This is the of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He used to wear it for delegations and on Jumu’a.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The Raahib (pl. Ruhbaan), monk, is the one who seeks worship by withdrawing from society; worldly things, its pleasure and people, and desiring its inconvenience, something for which Allah the Mighty and Exalted berated the Jews and Christians: “But the monasticism which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for them, but (tey sought it) only to please Allah therewith, but they did not observe it with the right observance…” (Q 57:27). Here, Abū’l-‘Aliya decried Abdu’l-Karīm’s dressing which appears as that of a monk and encouraged him to beautify himself as is the way of the Muslims when they visit each other. It is necessary to note that in beautifying oneself, one must remain within the limits of the Sharee’ah.

349. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said, “‘Umar found a silk robe and brought it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘Buy this and wear it on Jumbo’s and when delegations come to you.’ The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied, ‘Only someone who has no portion in the Next World wears this.’ Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was brought some robes and sent one robe to ‘Umar, one to Usama, and one to ‘Ali. ‘Umar said, ‘Messenger of Allah! You have sent this to me when I heard you say what you said about it.’ The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘You can sell it or take care of your needs with it.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: Umar’s proposal that the Messenger of Allahﷺ should wear the robe on such important occasions like the Friday or when delegations visit him was upheld by the Messengerﷺ; he only rejected the silk robe particularly, and any other prohibited dress or mode of dressing as is known from other narrations by extension. However, the hadeeth shows the permissibility of selling silk clothes, earning profit thereby and connecting ties of kinship with non-Muslim relatives by giving them gifts.

chapter 161. The Excellence of Visiting

350. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “A man visited a brother of his in a village, so Allah put an angel in wait for him on the road. He asked, ‘Where are you going?’ He replied, ‘To a brother of mine in this village.’ He said, ‘Is he responsible for some blessing you have?’ He said, ‘No, I love him for Allah.’ He said, ‘I am a messenger of Allah to you. Allah loves you as you love him.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: While the Chapter on Visiting describes the validity of visiting, this chapter shows the virtues of visiting. Imam An-Nawawee (رحمه الله (said, “The hadeeth contains the virtue of Loving for Allah the Most High, and that it is a means to Allah’s loving a servant…”

chapter 162. When a man loves people and cannot join them

351. Abu Dharr said, “I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, what if a man loves a people but cannot join them?’ He replied, ‘Abu Dharr, you are with the one you love.’ I said, ‘I love Allah and His Messenger.’ He said, ‘Abu Dharr, you are with the one you love.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: Loving is in grades as following; and there are levels in the Garden. So, a servant’s level in the Garden is to the extent of his love for and following of the Messengerﷺ. Even the person in the lowest level in the Garden, he will also be with the Prophetﷺ in the garden even though his level will be low. The hadeeth shows the virtues of Abu Dharr .

352. Anas reported that a man asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “Prophet of Allah, when will the Final Hour come?” He said, “Have you not made preparation for it?” He replied, ” I am not prepared for a terrible event , but I love Allah and His Messenger.” He said, “A man is with the one he loves.”
Anas remarked, “I never saw the Muslims rejoice, except for the day that they became Muslim, more than they rejoiced on that day.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The Prophetﷺ asked what preparations the companion had made for the Last Hour since the main benefit of knowing about the Day or its signs is one’s preparation for it. The hadeeth is evidence that the companions (RA)truly love Allah and His Messengerﷺ; and so, they were glad to hear what shows that they will be with him again in the World Hereafter.