• current selection in your language

THE MIRACLE OF THE REFILLING OF THE COOKING POT

1539

“The Companions, known as Suffa, were very poor people and the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said to them, ‘Whosoever has food for two should invite a third and whosoever has food for four should invite five or six.’

The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, had invited ten people to share a meal with him and it coincided that Abu Bakr had invited three people to his home to share a meal with him. However, the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, invited Abu Bakr to eat with him, and Abu Bakr remained with him until after the night prayer. By the time he arrived home a part of the night had passed and his wife inquired, ‘What kept you from your guests?’ He asked, ‘Haven't you given them their food?’ She answered, ‘They were offered food but they declined to eat until you arrived.’

Abdur Rahman (the son of Abu Bakr) said: 'I went and hid myself out of fear but Abu Bakr called for me in a stern and angry tone saying: Now you eat and let it be disagreeable to you, by Allah I shall not eat it at all.'

Abdur Rahman said, ‘We started to eat and for each mouthful we took more than its equal rose from the bottom till everyone had eaten his fill; the food had increased in quantity more than there had been in the beginning.’ Abu Bakr looked at it and said to his wife: ‘Sister of Bani Firas, what is this?’ She said, ‘By what delights my eye, it is now three times more than it was.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘My oath not to eat of it was prompted by satan’ and he ate a mouthful of it and then took it to the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, where it remained until the morning.

This happened at a time during which the period of truce we had made with a tribe had expired and twelve of us had been appointed as scouts, each of the twelve had men under him, Allah alone knows how many there were and they all ate from the food.”

We are also informed:

“Abu Bakr took an oath that he would not eat any of it, and his wife did the same and his guests swore they would not eat unless Abu Bakr also ate. Thereupon he said, ‘My oath was incited by satan’, so he called for the food and he and they ate. For each mouthful they took there rose up from under it more than its equal.

Abu Bakr said to his wife, ‘Sister of Bani Firas, what is this?’ She answered, ‘By what delights my eye, it is now more than it was when we started eating.’ They all ate and sent the rest to the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, who also ate from it.

We are also informed:

Abu Bakr said to Abdur Rahman, ‘I am going to the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, take care of the guests and feed them before I return.’ Abdur Rahman placed before them whatever there was and asked them to eat. They inquired, ‘Where is our host?’ He urged them to eat but they replied, ‘We shall not eat until our host comes.’ He pleaded, ‘Please accept our hospitality, if he arrives and finds you have not eaten he will be angry.’ But they persisted in their refusal. Abdur Rahman said, ‘I realized that Abu Bakr would be upset so when he returned I withdrew. He inquired how the food had been and was informed what had happened. He called out, ‘Abdur Rahman', but I remained silent. He then called out, ‘You stupid youth, I put you on oath that if you hear my voice come forward.’ So I came out and said, ‘Ask your guests.’ They told him, ‘He is telling the truth. He did bring the food to us.’ Then Abu Bakr said, ‘You waited for me, but by Allah I shall not eat of this food this night.’ Thereupon his guests said, ‘We shall not eat, unless you also eat.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘What is the matter with you that you do not accept our hospitality? Bring the food!’ The food was brought, and he said, ‘My oath was incited by satan’ and he reached out his hand and said, ‘In the Name of Allah’ and ate; and so his guests also ate.”

Bukhari and Muslim with a chain up to Abdur Rahman, the son of Abu Bakr who related this.