Question: We return at the beginning of this episode to the letter from sister Umm Mujahid, a Sudanese residing in the United Arab Emirates. We presented a part of our sister’s questions in a previous episode, and in this episode, she asks and says: The Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Let none enter your house except a believer, and let none eat your food except one who is pious.” Is this Hadith authentic (Sahih)? And if it is authentic, how do I know the believer (Mu’min) and the pious (Taqi)? The Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Piety (Taqwa) is right here,” pointing to his heart. Piety and faith (Iman) are in the heart, and Allah is the Knower of the hearts. And if a rejecting, disbelieving (jāḥid kāfir), hungry person enters my house, what should I do with him? Please advise me, may Allah reward you with good.
The Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family, his companions, and those who follow his guidance.
To proceed: The wording of the established Hadith from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, is: “Do not accompany anyone but a believer, and let none eat your food except one who is pious.”[1]
Its meaning is: Do not take the transgressors (Fussāq) as companions. Rather, take the virtuous, those with praiseworthy attributes, those who maintain the prayers (Salawat), those who guard their tongues and limbs from the prohibitions of Allah. This is the meaning of: “Do not accompany anyone but a believer.”
And the believer (Mu’min) is one who outwardly manifests good deeds. The hearts, none knows what is in them except Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). People are only [judged by] what is apparent. So, whoever manifests steadfastness upon the religion of Allah by maintaining the prayers, fulfilling the rights of Allah, and avoiding the prohibitions of Allah, this person is called a believer (Mu’min), and he is called a Muslim, and he is called pious (Muttaqi) as well, according to what is apparent from his actions.
As for the hearts, they are unto Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He); none knows what is in them except Allah. People are only judged by their apparent actions. The statement of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam): “Piety is right here (while pointing towards the heart),” means that the foundation of piety (Taqwa) is in the heart. When the heart is sound, the limbs are sound, and when the heart is corrupt, the limbs are corrupt. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) is indicating that it is incumbent upon the believer to pay attention to his heart, and to strive for the soundness and purity of his heart, so that his actions and statements may be sound.
As in the other Hadith, he (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) says: “Indeed, Allah does not look at your forms nor at your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.”
And in another wording, he (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) says: “Truly, in the body there is a morsel of flesh (muḍghah); if it is sound, the entire body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the entire body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart.” (Agreed upon for its authenticity).
So the heart is the foundation. When it is filled with piety towards Allah, love for Him, awe of Him (Glorified is He), fear of Him, and sincerity towards Him and His servants, the limbs become steadfast upon the religion of Allah, upon doing what Allah has obligated, and upon leaving what Allah has forbidden.
His statement: “And let none eat your food except one who is pious (Taqi),” means: Do not invite anyone to your food except the virtuous. Do not invite the transgressors (Fussāq) and the disbelievers (Kuffār). The scholars said: This applies to what one chooses—what a person chooses and takes as a regular custom for himself.
As for guests, they are a different matter. There is no objection to offering food to guests, even if they are not pious (Atqiyā’), even if they are profligate (Fujjār), and even if they are disbelievers (Kuffār). The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) used to receive delegations of disbelievers and others, and he would feed them and honor them, peace and blessings be upon him, to incline their hearts towards Islam (Ta’līf-an lahum ‘alā al-Islam).
And he, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest.” Honoring the guest is commanded by the Shari’ah, even if he is a non-Muslim. In honoring him, there is an invitation to Islam and a direction towards good, so that he may know the merits of Islam and noble morals.
But as for taking non-Muslim companions who eat your food and accompany you, then no. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said in the other authentic Hadith: “The parable of the righteous companion and the evil companion is like that of the carrier of musk and the one who blows the bellows. As for the carrier of musk, he will either gift you [some], or you will buy [some] from him, or you will find a pleasant scent from him. But as for the one who blows the bellows, he will either burn your clothes or you will find a foul stench from him.”
And he (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) says: “A man is upon the religion of his close friend (khalīl)—meaning, his companion—so let each one of you look at whom he befriends (yukhālil).”
So the believer looks at his companions and close friends and chooses the virtuous, the good, the people of prayer, the people of steadfastness, the people of good reputation, so they may help him in the obedience of Allah, so he may consult them in what is problematic for him, and so he may cooperate with them in good. He does not take the people of transgression (fisq) and disbelief (kufr) as companions and allies (awliyā’), because they harm him and drag him to their falsehoods. This is why he (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Do not accompany anyone but a believer, and let none eat your food except one who is pious,” meaning: according to one’s ability and choice.
But if a guest arrives, then the person honors the guest in a manner befitting his status. And he invites him—if he is profligate (fājir) or a disbeliever (kāfir)—he invites him to good, gives him counsel (naṣīḥah). He invites him to the obedience of Allah and steadfastness upon His religion if he is a transgressor (fāsiq),and he invites him to Islam if he is a disbeliever.
The delegation of Thaqif came to the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) in Madinah while they were disbelievers, and he honored them and invited them to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) until they accepted Islam. So, the guest has a different status.
Likewise, a person may be invited to a banquet (walīmah) and find himself among people in whom there is no good. This does not harm him, as he did not intend their companionship. Rather, the food gathered him with them, just as the marketplace, the mosques, and so on might gather him with them, while they are transgressors.
So, the summary is that the thing which is prohibited is to take a profligate person (fājir) or a disbeliever (kāfir) as a companion and a friend, who eats his food, visits him, and exchanges visits with him, and the like. As for what may incidentally occur to a person, such as a guest coming to him, or his contact with a non-Muslim to invite him to Allah, or to buy a needed item from him—for the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) bought from the disbelievers and bought needed items from the Jews, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Jews invited him and he ate their food, and Allah has made their food permissible for us—these are matters that the believer should know and be clear about, so that he does not prohibit what Allah has permitted, and so that he does not forbid what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has made lawful. And Allah is the One Whose help is sought. Yes. [End of the answer.]
[1] Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2395, Shaykh Al-Albani,”Its chain is Hasan”.
(Translated by Mohammed bin Thajammul Hussain Manna)
Saheehus-Seerah 