GIVING CHARITY IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES H 566 "A man came to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, saying: 'I am very hungry.' So the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, sent a message to one of his wives and she sent back the message, 'By Him who has sent you with the truth, I have nothing but water.' So he sent a message to another of his wives and received the same reply. He sent messages to each one of his wives in turn and they all gave the same reply. Then he asked, 'Who will take this person to be his guest?' One of the Ansar replied, 'O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, I will.' So he took him home and said to his wife: 'Honor the guest of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him.' He asked his wife, 'Have you anything?' She replied, 'Nothing, except a little food for the children.' He said, 'Distract them with something, and when they ask for food put them to bed. When our guest comes extinguish the light, and let him feel that we are also eating.' So they sat down, their guest ate and they went to bed hungry. In the morning he (the Ansar) went to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, who said to him, 'Allah, the Exalted is very pleased with your behavior towards your guest last night.'" R 566 Bukhari and Muslim with a chain up to Abu Hurairah who related this hadith
563- وعن أَبي هريرة رضي الله عنه ، قَالَ : جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النبيِّ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ، فَقَالَ : إنِّي مَجْهُودٌ ، فَأرسَلَ إِلَى بَعْضِ نِسَائِهِ ، فَقالت : وَالَّذي بَعَثَكَ بِالحَقِّ مَا عِنْدِي إِلاَّ مَاءٌ، ثُمَّ أرْسَلَ إِلَى أُخْرَى ، فَقَالَتْ مِثلَ ذَلِكَ ، حَتَّى قُلْنَ كُلُّهُنَّ مِثلَ ذَلِكَ : لا وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بالحَقِّ مَا عِنْدِي إِلاَّ مَاءٌ . فَقَالَ النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : "مَنْ يُضيفُ هَذَا اللَّيْلَةَ ؟" فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأنْصَارِ : أنَا يَا رسولَ الله ، فَانْطَلَقَ بِهِ إِلَى رَحْلِهِ ، فَقَالَ لامْرَأَتِهِ : أكرِمِي ضَيْفَ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم . وفي روايةٍ قَالَ لامْرَأَتِهِ : هَلْ عِنْدَكِ شَيْءٌ ؟ فقَالَتْ : لاَ ، إِلاَّ قُوتَ صِبيَانِي . قَالَ: فَعَلِّليهم بِشَيْءٍ وَإذَا أرَادُوا العَشَاءَ فَنَوِّمِيهمْ ، وَإِذَا دَخَلَ ضَيْفُنَا فَأطْفِئي السِّرَاجَ ، وَأريهِ أنَّا نَأكُلُ . فَقَعَدُوا وَأكَلَ الضَّيْفُ وَبَاتَا طَاوِيَيْنِ ، فَلَمَّا أصْبَحَ غَدَا عَلَى النَّبيِّ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ، فَقَالَ : "لَقَدْ عَجبَ الله مِنْ صَنِيعِكُمَا بِضَيْفِكُمَا اللَّيْلَةَ" متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ .