أدَبُ الضِّيافَةِ The Etiquette of Hospitality

16ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): مَن أحَبَّ أن يُحِبَّهُ اللّه‏ُ ورسولُهُ فَليَأكُلْ مَعَ ضَيفِهِ.

16– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Whoever wants to be loved by Allah and His Prophet should eat with his guest.’[Tanbih al-Khawatir, v. 2, p. 116]
 

17ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إذا دُعِيَ أحَدُكُم إلى طَعامٍ فلا يَستَتبِعَنَّ وَلَدَهُ؛ فإنّهُ إن فَعَلَ‏ذلكَ كانَ حَراماً ودَخَلَ عاصياً.

17– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘When one of you is invited for a meal, he must not bring along his son with him too, for verily it is prohibited for him to do so and he enters the house unlawfully.’[al-Mahasin, v. 2, p. 181, no. 1515]
 

18ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): الضَّيفُ يُلطَفُ لَيلَتَينِ، فإذا كانتِ اللَّيلةُ الثالثةُ فهُو مِن أهلِ البيتِ يَأكُلُ ما أدرَكَ.

18– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘A guest may expect to be honoured for two nights, then from the third night onwards he is considered to be one of the family and must eat whatever he gets.’[al-Kafi, v. 6, p. 183, no. 6]
 

19ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): الضِّيافَةُ أوَّلُ يَومٍ والثاني والثالثُ، وما بعدَ ذلكَ فإنّها صَدَقةٌ تَصَدّق بها علَيهِ.

19– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Hospitality towards a guest is incumbent for the first day, the second day and the third day. After that, anything you give him is considered as charity towards him on your behalf.’[al-Kafi, v. 6, p. 183, no. 2]
 

20ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): الوَليمَةُ أوَّلُ يومٍ حَقٌّ، والثاني مَعروفٌ، وما زادَ رياءٌ وسُمعَةٌ.

20– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Hosting a banquet the first day is reasonable, the second day is an act of courtesy, and any more than that is showing-off and seeking repute.’[al-Kafi, v. 5, p. 368, no. 4]
 

21ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إذا دَخَلَ أحَدُكُم على أخيهِ في رَحلِهِ‏ فَلْيَقعُدْ حيثُ‏ يَأمُرُ صاحِبُ‏ الرَّحلِ؛فإنّ صاحِبَ الرَّحلِ‏أعرَفُ بِعَورَةِ بَيتِهِ ‏مِن‏الداخِلِ علَيهِ.

21– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘When someone enters the house of his fellow brother, he must sit wherever the host tells him to sit for the owner of the house knows the flaws of his own house better than the guest.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 75, p. 451, no. 2]
 

22ـ ابنِ أبي يَعفورٍ: رأيتُ عِند أبي عبدِ اللّه‏ِ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ضَيفاً، فقامَ يَوماً في بعضِ الحَوائج، فنَهاهُ عن ذلكَ، وقامَ بنفسِهِ إلى تلك الحاجَةِ، وقالَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): نَهى رسولُ اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) عَن أن يُستَخدَمَ الضَّيفُ.

22– Ibn Abi Ya`afur narrated, ‘I saw a guest once at Abi `Aabdillah’s [i.e. Imam al-Sadiq (AS)] house, who stood up to get something he needed, so Imam refused for him to do so, and stood up to get it himself, saying, ‘The Prophet of Allah (AS) prohibited that a guest be allowed to do work.’[al-Kafi, v. 6, p. 283, no. 1]