Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates fromthe Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace); “Whosoever believes in Allah (The Exalted) and the day of resurrection should respect his guest.”

Looking after your guests not only pleases them but brings you satisfaction as well. Looking after guests include respecting them and fulfilling their needs. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the best example of looking after guests.

Be hospitable and generous to your guests whether they are there for a short while or overnight and whether they are invited or uninvited. Provide your guest with enough food and drink but do not exaggerate since moderations are the Sunnah.

“There came Our messengers to Abraham with glad tidings. They said, "Peace!" He answered, "Peace!" and hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf.” (11:69)

Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) welcomed his guests politely and quickly brought them food to eat without asking and telling them about a meal. He prepared the best meal he could to provide his guest with. Once the meal was served he placed it close to them and subtly invited them to eat. This Ayah summarizes the proper manners for honouring your guests.

If your guest will be at your home for a long time, show them the Qibla for praying and place to perform ablution. Provide them with a clean bathroom and towels. If your guests are staying overnight, provide them with a clean place to sleep with minimal interruptions. Personal intimate clothing should be removed from the area.

When your guest is leaving be courteous and see them to the door:

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates fromthe Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that, “The Sunnah is this, that you see your guest to the door.” (Ibn Majah)

As a guest we should also be considerate of the host. Do not burden your host with requests they might not be able to fulfil. When food and drink is offered, it is up to you whether you would like to eat and drink or not:

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)that, “Whoever is invited to a meal accept it, whether you desire to eat or not is your choice.” (Muslim)

As a guest we are not there to inspect every small corner of the host’s house. Don’t open cupboards and drawers to see what is inside. Respect the host and be satisfied with what is offered to you. Do not betray the host’s trust by constant criticizing and inquisitiveness.

Select an appropriate time to visits someone. Meal times are not a time to visit anyone. Make your visit brief and pleasant. Long tedious visits can not only inconvenience the host, but also get boring and the talk can turn aimless hence wasting more time.

Make your leave by asking permission and make supplication for the host before leaving.

 ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) states that, “To put food in front of brothers, to me is better than to set a slave free.”

Visiting friends and family strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and sharing meals with your brothers is a greatly rewarded acted as stated above.

"He who holds on firmly to my Sunnah at a time when my Ummah are (grovelling) in corruption will receive a reward of a hundred martyrs."

Abu Hurayrah rahimahullah reported that Allah’s messenger sallalaahu ‘alayhi was sallam said: “When a human being dies, all of his deeds are terminated except for three types: an ongoing sadaqah, a knowledge(of Islaam) from which others benefit, and a righteous child who makes du’aa for him.” (Muslim and others)

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