Home > The 40 Hadith of Nawawi > Hadith 15 of Nawawi
Hadith number 15 of the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi, in a faithful English translation.
Updated on 10 September 2026 at 2:45 AM
📖 34 min readThis hadith belongs to the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), the most studied hadith compilation in the world: foundations of faith, worship and character, all authentic narrations.
And in some: "let him honor his guest," and in some: "let him maintain his kin," replacing the mention of the neighbor. The two report it also in meaning from Abu Sharih al-Khuz'i's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). This hadith is reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from the hadiths of Aisha, Ibn Mas'oud, Abd Allah ibn Amr, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Ibn Abbas and other Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day: let him do such and such" indicates these traits are traits of faith; it preceded that deeds enter faith. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained faith by patience and forbearance; al-Hasan said: patience meaning abstaining from disobediences, forbearance in obedience. Faith's deeds concern Allah's rights sometimes: performing obligations and leaving prohibitions, including good speech and silence besides it; sometimes His servants' rights: honoring the guest, honoring the neighbor, and refraining from harming him. The believer is thus commanded three things.
[Good speech is of faith:] The first: good speech and silence besides it. At-Tabarani reports from Aswad ibn Asram al-Maharibi's hadith, who said: I said: O Messenger of Allah! Counsel me. He said: "Do you own your tongue?" I said: how shall I own, if I own not my tongue? He said: "Do you own your hand?" I said: how shall I own, if I own not my hands? He said: "Let your tongue say nothing but good, and extend your hand to nothing but good."
[The tongue's uprightness is of faith:] It came that the tongue's uprightness is of faith's traits: in the Musnad, from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "A servant's faith stands not straight until his heart stands straight, and his heart stands not straight until his tongue stands straight." At-Tabarani reports from Anas's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The servant attains not faith's reality until he guards from his tongue."
At-Tabarani reports from Mu'adh ibn Jabal's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "You remain safe so long as you are silent: when you speak, it is written for you or against you." In Imam Ahmad's Musnad, from Abd Allah ibn Amr ibn al-As, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever is silent is saved." In the two authentic collections, from Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "A man utters a word whose import he measures not: he slides by it into the Fire farther than the distance between East and West." Imam Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi report from Abu Hurayra's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "A man utters a word seeing no evil in it: he falls by it seventy autumns into the Fire." In the Sahih of al-Bukhari, from Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "A man utters a word of Allah's pleasure heeding it not: Allah raises him degrees by it; a servant utters a word of Allah's anger heeding it not: he falls by it into Hell." Imam Ahmad reports from the hadith of Sulayman ibn Suhaym, from his mother, who said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "A man approaches Paradise an arm's length: he utters a word, and distances from it farther than Sana'a." Imam Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i report from Bilal ibn al-Harith's hadith, who said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "One of you utters a word of Allah's pleasure thinking it reach not what it reached: Allah writes him His pleasure by it until the day he meets Him; and one of you utters a word of Allah's anger thinking it reach not what it reached: Allah writes him His anger by it until the day he meets Him." We mentioned before Umm Habiba's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The son of Adam's speech is against him, except enjoining right, forbidding wrong, and remembering Allah, the Mighty and Majestic."
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "let him say good or be silent": commanding good speech, and silence besides it. This indicates no speech exists where saying and silence are equal: either it is good, he being commanded to say it; or not-good, he being commanded silence: Mu'adh's hadith and Umm Habiba's indicate both.
Ibn Abi al-Dunya reports Mu'adh ibn Jabal's hadith, its wording: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him: "O Mu'adh! May your mother lose you: say you nothing but it be for you or against you?"
Allah, the Most High, said:
"When the two receivers receive, seated right and left: he utters no word but a watcher ready is with him."
Qaf, 17-18
The righteous predecessors agreed the right-hand one writes good deeds, the left-hand one sins. It is reported in raised form from Abu Umama's hadith, by a weak chain. In the authentic collection, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "When one of you prays, he converses with his Lord, and the angel is on his right." From Hudhayfa's hadith, in raised form: "at his right is the good deeds' writer."
They differed: does he write all he speaks, or only what has reward or punishment? Two famous views. Ali ibn Abi Talha reports from Ibn Abbas: he writes all he speaks of good or evil, even writing his saying: I ate, I drank, I went, I came; until Thursday comes: his speech and deed are presented, his good or evil confirmed, the rest annulled: that is His word: "Allah effaces what He wills and confirms; and with Him is the mother of the book." Yahya ibn Abi Kathir said: a man mounted a donkey and stumbled, saying: perish the donkey! The right-hand one said: it is no good deed, I write it not; the left-hand one said: it is no sin, I write it not; Allah inspired the left-hand one: write what the right-hand one left: "perish the donkey" was thus written among sins.
[What is not a good deed:] Its apparent is that what is no good deed is a sin though unpunished: some sins may be unpunished, expiated by avoiding majors: but their time was lost by their holder, gone in vain: regret on Resurrection Day results, and sorrow upon him: a kind of punishment.
Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i report from Abu Hurayra's hadith, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "No people rise from an assembly remembering not Allah therein but they rise like a donkey's carcass: and they have regret." At-Tirmidhi reports it, its wording: "People sit not in an assembly remembering not Allah therein nor praying upon their prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) but a burden is upon them: if He wills He punishes them; if He wills He forgives them." In a narration of Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i: "Whoever sits a sitting remembering not Allah therein has, from Allah, a burden; whoever lies down remembering not Allah therein has, from Allah, a burden." An-Nasa'i adds: "whoever rises a standing remembering not Allah therein has, from Allah, a burden." From Abu Sa'id's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "No people sit an assembly remembering not Allah therein but they have regret on the Resurrection Day, though they enter Paradise." Mujahid said: "People sit not an assembly dispersing before remembering Allah but they disperse stinker than carrion's wind, their assembly witnessing against them by their heedlessness; people sit not an assembly remembering Allah before dispersing but they disperse sweeter than musk's wind, their assembly witnessing for them by their remembrance."
Some predecessors said: "The hours of his life will be presented to the son of Adam on the Resurrection Day: every hour wherein he remembered not Allah, his soul fragments upon it in regrets." At-Tabarani reports from Aisha's hadith, may Allah be pleased with her, in raised form: "No hour passes to the son of Adam remembering not Allah in good but he has regret by it on the Resurrection Day."
Surplus speech brings perils
Hence is known that what is not good of speech: silence is better than speaking it, except what necessity calls to of the unavoidable. Ibn Mas'oud is reported saying: "Beware of surplus speech: enough for a man to reach his need." An-Nakha'i said: "People perish in wealth's and speech's surplus." Moreover, multiplying needless speech causes heart's hardness: in at-Tirmidhi, from Ibn Umar's hadith, in raised form: "Multiply not speech without Allah's remembrance: much speech without Allah's remembrance hardens the heart; and the farthest of people from Allah is the hard heart." Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: whoever multiplies his speech multiplies his slips, whoever multiplies his slips multiplies his sins, and whoever's sins multiply: the Fire is more worthy of him. Al-Aqili reports it from Ibn Umar's hadith, in raised form, by a weak chain. Muhammad ibn Ajlan said: "Speech is but four: remembering Allah, reading the Qur'an, asking knowledge to be informed, or speaking of what aids you in your world's affair."
A man said to Salman: counsel me. He said: "Speak not!" He said: how can one living among people not speak? He said: "If you speak, speak truth, or be silent." Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, would seize his tongue, saying: "This led me to these pitfalls?!" Ibn Mas'oud said: "By Allah besides whom is no deity: nothing on earth merits longer imprisonment than the tongue." Wahb ibn Munabbih said: "The sages agreed the head of wisdom is silence." Shumayt ibn Ajlan said: "O son of Adam! So long as you are silent you are safe: when you speak, take caution: either for you or against you?!" This chapter is long in examination.
The intended is the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded speaking good and silence over what is not good. Imam Ahmad and Ibn Hibban report from al-Bara ibn Azib's hadith: a man said: O Messenger of Allah! Teach me a deed admitting me Paradise: he mentions the hadith, saying: "feed the hungry, give the thirsty drink, enjoin right and forbid wrong; if you cannot: restrain your tongue except from good."
Speech is thus commanded not absolutely, nor silence likewise: speaking good and silence over evil are necessary.
The predecessors often praised silence over evil and over what concerns not, for its hardship upon the soul, people falling therein much: they treated their souls and strove them to silence over what concerns them not. Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad said: "Pilgrimage, garrison and jihad are none harder than the tongue's imprisonment! If you wake with your tongue concerning you, you wake in great grief." He said: "The tongue's prison is the believer's prison; if you wake with your tongue concerning you, you wake in great grief." Ibn al-Mubarak was asked Luqman's saying to his son: "Were speech silver, silence is gold?!" He said: "Its meaning: were speech silver in obedience to Allah, silence over Allah's disobedience is gold?!" This returns to withholding disobediences being better than obedience's deeds: discussed fully before. They disputed at al-Ahnaf ibn Qays: which is better: silence or speech? A people said: silence better. Al-Ahnaf said: speech better: for silence's merit extends not past its holder, good speech benefits its hearer. A scholar said before Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him: "The silent knower is like the speaking knower." Umar said: "I hope speaking with knowledge is better than the two in a state, on the Resurrection Day: its benefit is for people, and his silence for himself?!" He said: O Commander of the believers! And speech's fitna? Umar wept then heavily. Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz preached one day, and the people wept: he cut his sermon. It was said: had you completed your speech, we hoped Allah profit by it. Umar said: "Speech is a fitna: deed is more worthy to the believer than speech." [Ibn Rajab sees Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz:] I saw, long since, in a dream, the Commander of the believers Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may Allah be pleased with him, speaking on this question, and I deemed I debated him, understanding from his speech that speaking good is better than silence. I deem he mentioned during the speech Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik, and Umar said that to him; Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik is reported saying: "Silence is reason's sleep, and speech its waking: no state completes without a state," meaning silence and speech are both necessary.
Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Ja'far, Egypt's jurist of his time and one of the sages, said most beautifully: "When a man speaks in an assembly and the discourse pleases him: let him be silent; when silent and silence pleases him: let him speak." This is good: for whoever is so, his silence and speech are against his whim and self-admiration; whoever is so deserves Allah's success and his rectitude in speech and silence: his speech and silence are for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. In al-Hasan's mursal reports, may Allah have mercy on him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), in what he reports from his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, he said: "Purity's sign is the servant's heart hanging with Me: when so, he forgets Me not in any state; when so, I grace him engaging in Me, lest he forget Me: when he forgets Me, I stir his heart: if he speaks he speaks for Me; if silent, silent for Me: from Me comes the aid."
In any case, committing silence absolutely, and deeming it devotion: absolutely or in some worship like pilgrimage, retreat and fasting: prohibited. It is reported from Abu Hurayra's hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prohibited the silence fast. Al-Isma'ili reports from Ali's hadith, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prohibited us silence in retreat." In Abu Dawud's Sunan, from Ali's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "No silence fasting from day to night." Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, said to a silent pilgrim woman: "This is not lawful: it is of the ignorance era's work." Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin is reported saying: "the silence fast is unlawful."
The second of what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded the believers in this hadith: "honoring the neighbor"; in some narrations: "prohibiting harming the neighbor." Harming the neighbor is forbidden: harm without right is forbidden to anyone; toward the neighbor more severely forbidden. In the two authentic collections, from Ibn Mas'oud, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): he was asked: which sin is greatest? He said: "giving Allah an equal though He created you." It was said: then which? He said: "killing your child fearing it eat with you." It was said: then which? He said: "fornicating with your neighbor's wife."
In Imam Ahmad's Musnad, from al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad, who said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "What say you of fornication?" They said: forbidden, Allah and His messenger forbade it: forbidden until the Resurrection Day. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "A man fornicating with ten women is easier upon him than fornicating with his neighbor's wife." He said: "What say you of theft?" They said: forbidden, Allah and His messenger forbade it: forbidden. He said: "A man stealing from ten houses is easier upon him than stealing from his neighbor."
In the Sahih of al-Bukhari, from Abu Sharih, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "By Allah, he believes not; by Allah, he believes not; by Allah, he believes not." It was said: who, O Messenger of Allah?! He said: "He whose neighbor is not safe from his harms." Imam Ahmad and others report it from Abu Hurayra's hadith.
In the Sahih of Muslim, from Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "None enters Paradise whose neighbor is not safe from his harms."
Imam Ahmad and al-Hakim report from Abu Hurayra's hadith also, who said: it was said: O Messenger of Allah! Such a woman prays nights, fasts days, but has something on her tongue: harming her neighbors: is she insolent? He said: "No good in her: she is in the Fire." It was said: such prays the prescribed prayers, fasts Ramadan, gives hides' charity, has nothing besides, harms none. He said: "She is in Paradise." Imam Ahmad's wording: "and she harms not her neighbors with her tongue."
Al-Hakim reports from Abu Juhayfa's hadith, who said: a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) complaining his neighbor; he said: "Cast your goods upon the road." The people passed by him cursing him; he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), saying: O Messenger of Allah! What have I received from the people? He said: "and what received you from them?" He said: they curse me? He said: "Allah cursed you before the people." He said: O Messenger of Allah! I return not. Abu Dawud reports it in meaning from Abu Hurayra's hadith, not mentioning "Allah cursed you before the people."
No little harm to the neighbor
Al-Khara'iti reports from Umm Salama's hadith, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: our neighbor's goat entered, took a bite of ours; I rose and took it from between her jaws; the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no little harm to the neighbor."
The Qur'an and honoring the neighbor
Honoring the neighbor and doing good to him is commanded. Allah, the Most High, said:
"Worship Allah, associate nothing with Him; be good to parents, kin, orphans, the poor, the near neighbor, the distant neighbor, the side companion, the wayfarer, and what your right hands own: Allah loves not the conceited boaster."
An-Nisa, 36
Allah gathered in this verse the Lord's right upon the servant, and the servants' rights upon the servant too.
He made the servants to whom goodness is commanded five kinds. The first: he between whom and man is kinship; parents he distinguished by mention for their distinction of other kin in what none shares: they were the child's existence's cause, having education and discipline's right and other. The second: he who is weak needing goodness: two kinds: needing by body's weakness: the orphan; needing by wealth's scarcity: the poor. The third: he having proximity and mixing's right: he made them three kinds: the kin neighbor, the foreign neighbor, and the side companion.
The exegetes differed interpreting: some said: the kin neighbor: the neighbor with kinship; the foreign neighbor: the foreigner. Some entered the woman into the kin neighbor; some the foreign neighbor; some entered the travel companion into the foreign neighbor. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported saying in his supplication: "I seek refuge with You from the bad neighbor in the dwelling home: the changing neighbor moves." Some said: the kin neighbor: the Muslim neighbor, the foreign neighbor: the disbeliever.
In the Musnad of al-Bazzar, from Jabir's hadith, in raised form: "Neighbors are three: a neighbor with one right: the lowest of neighbors in right; a neighbor with two rights; and a neighbor with three rights: the best of neighbors in right. The one-right one: a polytheist neighbor without kin: he has neighborhood's right. The two-rights one: a Muslim neighbor: he has Islam's right and neighborhood's right. The three-rights one: a Muslim neighbor with kin: he has neighborhood's right, Islam's right, and kinship's right." This hadith is reported by other routes, connected and mursal, all not free of criticism. It is said: the kin neighbor: the near, adjoining neighbor; the foreign neighbor: the far.
Which neighbors deserve goodness more?
In the Sahih of al-Bukhari, from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: I said: O Messenger of Allah! I have two neighbors: to which gift? He said: "to whichever is nearer your door."
Some predecessors said: neighborhood's limit is forty houses. It is said: surrounding forty houses each side. In az-Zuhri's mursal reports: a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) complaining his neighbor; the Prophet commanded some of his companions calling: "Know that forty houses are neighbors." Az-Zuhri said: forty thus, forty thus, forty thus, forty thus: meaning before him, behind him, right, left.
What if one's wealth lessens and neighbors multiply?
Imam Ahmad was asked about one cooking a pot in the wayfarers' house, with some thirty or forty souls in the house? Meaning they dwell with him. He said: he begins with himself and his dependents; if surplus, gives the nearest. How could he give them all? He was told: perhaps his neighbor belittles that amount, having no place with him. He deemed sending him not.
The side companion: some interpreted the wife; some, among them Ibn Abbas, the travel companion; not intending excluding the constant resident companion: they meant travel company suffices; constant resident company is more worthy. Sa'id ibn Jubayr said: "the good road companion." Zayd ibn Aslam said: "your resident vis-à-vis, your travel companion." Ibn Zayd said: "the man covering you and frequenting you, that you profit him."
The best companions and best neighbors
In the Musnad and at-Tirmidhi, from Abd Allah ibn Amr ibn al-As, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The best companions with Allah are the best to their companion; the best neighbors with Allah the best to their neighbor."
The rest of those to whom goodness is commanded
The fourth: he arriving upon man not residing with him: the wayfarer, meaning the traveler arriving in another land; some of the two interpreted the guest: the wayfarer descending a guest upon someone. The fifth: what right hands possess. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) counselled them much, commanding goodness to them. His last counsel at death is reported: "prayer, and what your right hands possess." Some predecessors included in this verse man's animals and beasts.
Let us return to Abu Hurayra's hadith's commentary on honoring the neighbor. In the two authentic collections, from Aisha and Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with both, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Jibril kept counselling me the neighbor until I thought he would bequeath him." Of kindness to the neighbor's kinds: aiding him in need. In the Musnad, from Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The believer is not sated without his neighbor." Al-Hakim reports from Ibn Abbas's hadith, may Allah be pleased with both, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Not a believer who is sated while his neighbor is hungry." Another version, from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Believes not whoever sleeps sated while his neighbor is hungry." In the Musnad, from Uqba ibn Amir, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The first of the two litigants on the Resurrection Day: two neighbors." In al-Bukhari's etiquette book, from Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with both, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "How many a neighbor clinging to his neighbor on the Resurrection Day, saying: O Lord! This closed his door to me, denying his good."
Al-Khara'iti and others report, by a weak chain, from Ata al-Khurassani's hadith, from Amr ibn Shu'ayb, from his father, from his grandfather, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Whoever closes his door against his neighbor fearing for family and wealth is no believer; whoever his neighbor is not safe from his harms is no believer. Know you the neighbor's right? When he seeks your aid, aid him; seeks a loan, lend him; needs, visit him; sick, visit him; good befalls, felicitate him; calamity befalls, console him; dies, follow his funeral; build not over him lest the wind be barred him, without permission; harm him not with your pot's steam unless you scoop him some; buy fruit, gift him; if not, enter it secretly, your children not taking it out vexing his children." This speech is repudiated: perhaps of al-Khurassani's interpretation. It is reported also from Ata, from al-Hasan, from Jabir, in raised form: "The least of neighborhood's rights: harming not your neighbor with your pot's steam unless you pour him from it." In the Sahih of Muslim, from Abu Dharr, who said: "My intimate friend counselled me: cooking a broth, multiply its water, then look to your neighbors' households, giving them in kindness." Another narration: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "O Abu Dharr! Cooking a broth, multiply its water and attend your neighbors."
Gift to the non-Muslim neighbor
In the Musnad and at-Tirmidhi, from Abd Allah ibn Amr ibn al-As: he slaughtered a sheep saying: "Have you gifted our Jewish neighbor?" Thrice; then said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "Jibril kept counselling me the neighbor until I thought he would bequeath him."
In the two authentic collections, from Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "None of you prevent his neighbor placing a peg in his wall." Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, then says: "Why see I you turning from it? By Allah, I will stake it between your shoulders." Imam Ahmad's school: the neighbor must permit his neighbor placing a peg on his wall when needed, without harming his wall: for this authentic hadith.
His speech's apparent: he must share from his surplus, without harm, knowing his need. Al-Marwudhi said: I said to Abu Abd Allah: I hear the beggar in the road saying: I am hungry. He said: he may speak truth, and may lie. I said: if I have a neighbor I know hungry? He said: share with him. I said: if my food is two loaves? He said: feed him something. Then he said: what came in the hadith is the neighbor only. Al-Marwudhi said: I said to Abu Abd Allah: the wealthy: is sharing obligatory? He said: if a people placing one thing upon another, how not obligatory? I said: if a man has two shirts, or say two cloaks: sharing obligatory? He said: when he needs for there to be surplus. This is his explicit text on surplus sharing's obligation, not restricting to the neighbor; his first text requires the neighbor's restriction. In Ibn Hani's narration, of their lying in asking: "I love that they speak truth: we can but share with them." This indicates sharing with the hungry, neighbors and others, is obligatory.
In the authentic collection, from Abu Musa, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Feed the hungry, visit the sick, free the captive." In the Musnad and al-Hakim's Sahih, from Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Any people among whom a hungry man wakes: Allah's guarantee, the Mighty and Majestic, is discharged from them."
Ahmad's and Malik's school: the neighbor is prevented disposing his private property harming his neighbor: restraining harm to the neighbor is obligatory with both, preventing creating harmful benefit, though the user benefit only his private property. With Ahmad, giving the neighbor what he needs is obligatory, without harm in spending.
Higher than these two: enduring the neighbor's harm, not requiting it. Al-Hasan said: "Good neighboring is not withholding harm: good neighboring is enduring harm." It is reported from Abu Dharr's hadith, raising it: "Allah loves the man whose neighbor harms him: he endures his harm until death or moving separates them." Imam Ahmad reports it. In Abu Abd ar-Rahman al-Hubuli's mursal reports, a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) complaining his neighbor: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Withhold your harm from him, endure his harm: death suffices as separator." Ibn Abi al-Dunya reports it.
[Guest's honor is of faith:] The third of what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded the believers: honoring the guest: meaning goodness of his hospitality. In the two authentic collections, from Abu Sharih's hadith, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: my two eyes saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), my two ears heard him saying it: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day: let him honor his guest, his reward." They said: and what is his reward? He said: "a day and a night"; "hospitality is three days, and what is after is charity."
Muslim reports from Abu Sharih's hadith too, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Hospitality is three days, its reward a day and night, spending after that charity; lawful to him not to stay until making him sinful." They said: O Messenger of Allah! How makes he him sinful? He said: "he stays with him having nothing to host him." Imam Ahmad reports from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri's hadith, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day: let him honor his guest," saying it thrice; they said: the guest's honor, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "three days; what is withheld after is charity." In these hadiths: the guest's reward is a day and night, hospitality three days: he distinguished reward from hospitality, confirming the reward. Other hadiths came confirming it. Abu Dawud reports from al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "The guest's night is a right upon every Muslim: whoever spends the night in his house has a debt upon him: if he wills he claims it; if he wills he leaves it." Ibn Majah reports it, its wording: "The guest's night is a right upon every Muslim."
Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud report from al-Miqdam's hadith also, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Any man hosting a people and waking deprived: were they to aid him, it is a right upon every Muslim, until he takes a night's lodging of his crop and wealth." In the two authentic collections, from Uqba ibn Amir, who said: we said: O Messenger of Allah! You send us, and we descend upon a people hosting us not: what see you? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "If you descend upon a people and they order you the guest's due: accept. If they do not: take from them the guest's right due them." Imam Ahmad and al-Hakim report from Abu Hurayra's hadith, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Any guest descending upon a people and waking deprived: he may take his lodging's measure, no harm upon him."
Abd Allah ibn Amr said: "Whoever hosts not is not of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), nor of Ibrahim upon him peace." Abd Allah ibn al-Harith ibn Jaz' said: "Whoever honors not his guest is not of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), nor of Ibrahim upon him peace." [The guest may claim his right, and sue whoever honors him not:] Abu Hurayra said to a people upon whom they descended, hosting them not: he withdrew and descended, inviting them to food: they answered not; he said: you lodge not the guest, answer not the invitation: of Islam you are nothing! One recognized him, saying: descend, may Allah pardon you. He said: evil and evil: you lodge none but whom you know?! From Abu al-Darda the like is reported, saying to them: "Of the religion you are but the like of this," pointing a hole in his garment.
These texts indicate the day and night's hospitality obligation: al-Layth's and Ahmad's view. Ahmad said: he may claim it if withheld: for it is a due right; takes he from hand of his wealth if withheld, or brings he to the ruler? Two explicit narrations of him.
Humayd ibn Zanjawayh said: the guest's night is obligatory: he may take not his lodging of them by force, unless traveling in the Muslims' general interests, not his soul's. Al-Layth ibn Sa'd said: were the guest to descend upon a slave hosting him from wealth in hand: the guest may eat though knowing not his master permitted: hospitality obligatory: Ahmad's saying's analogy: answering the trade-authorized slave's invitation is permitted explicitly. Some of the Companions are reported answering kings' invitations. Reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) too: his inviting people to his food permitted, answering his invitation lawful: hosting whoever descends upon him more worthy. Malik and al-Shafi'i and others prohibited the authorized slave's invitation without his master's permission.
Raiders' hospitality
Ali ibn Sa'id transfers from Ahmad what indicates hospitality's obligation for raiders only: to those passing by them three days. The famous of him is the first: its obligation for every guest descending upon a people.
His word diverged: obligatory upon the cities' and camps' people, or specific to villages' people and route-dwellers passed by travelers? Two explicit narrations of him. Explicit of him: commended for Muslim and disbeliever; many of his companions restricted the obligation to the Muslim, like kin maintenance with religion differing: by one of his two narrations. The second and third days: hospitality's completion. Explicit of Ahmad: only the first reward obligatory, saying: reward and hospitality distinguished, reward more confirmed. Some of our companions obligated three days' hospitality: among them Abu Bakr ibn Abd al-Aziz, Ibn Abi Musa, al-Amidi. After the three: charity. Some deemed hospitality three days after the first day and night: Ahmad rejected by his saying: "hospitality is three days: added is charity": were it as deemed, it would be four. I say: like it is His word:
"Say: disbelieve you in Him who created the earth in two days, and give Him equals? That is the Lord of the worlds. He placed firm mountains above it, blessed it, measured therein its sustenance in four days."
Fussilat, 9-10
The intended is the four's completion. This hadith Ahmad argued by preceded in Abu Sharih's hadith; al-Bukhari reports it from Abu Hurayra's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day: let him be good to his guest": it was said: O Messenger of Allah! What is the guest's lodging? He said: "three days; what is after is charity."
[How is the honor? Its extent?]: Humayd ibn Zanjawayh said: he must impose, day and night, the finest food he and his family eat; in the three's completion: feeds them of his food: that has observation. Salman's hadith of prohibiting burdening for the guest we shall mention. Ashhab reports from Malik, who said: its reward a day and night: honored, gifted, distinguished a day and night, and three days hospitality. Ibn Umar abstained eating the wealth of whoever descended upon him beyond three days, ordering spending upon him from his wealth. The householder may order the guest's departure after the three: having fulfilled his due: Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, did so.
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "lawful to him not to stay until vexing him": he stays until pressing him. In the three days or beyond? Beyond the obligatory: unlawful doubtless. The obligatory, the day and night: builds upon whether hospitality obligates one finding nothing, or commended only upon one finding hosting-wealth? If said: obligatory only upon whoever finds hosting-wealth: the view of some hadith people, among them Humayd ibn Zanjawayh: the host may not host one unable to host.
Salman's hadith is reported, who said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prohibited us burdening for the guest what we have not. The host prohibited burdening for the guest what he has not indicates: sharing with the guest obligatory only by what he has: no surplus with him, nothing obligatory.
Merit of preferring the guest
As for preferring him over himself, like the Ansari upon whom descended:
"They prefer others over themselves though hardship be upon them."
Al-Hashr, 9
that is a rank of grace and excellence, not obligatory. Were the guest to know they host him only by their food and children's, the children suffering: not permissible then their hosting him, acting by the Prophet's word (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "lawful to him not to stay until vexing him."
Moreover, hospitality is obligatory expense: obligatory only upon one having surplus beyond his and family's food, like kin maintenance and breaking-fast zakat. Al-Khattabi denied his explaining making him sinful by staying having nothing to host, saying: I deem it erroneous: how sinful, unable for his lodging, finding no way? The burden is by capacity. He said: the hadith's import: staying after three disliked, lest his chest tighten by his place: his charity with favor and harm: his reward void. This has observation: its explanation authenticated in the hadith by what he denied: its import, staying with nothing to host him, his chest's tightness and vexation may call him to sinning in word or deed. Not meant: sinning by leaving the lodging with his inability. And Allah knows best.