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الادب المفرد
Adab al-Mufrad
كتابBook of Good Treatment of Servants
بَابُ إِذَا كَرِهَ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ مَعَ عَبْدِهِChapter: If One Dislikes Eating with His Slave
Hadith 198
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلاَمٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا مَخْلَدُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَجُلاً يَسْأَلُ جَابِرًا عَنْ خَادِمِ الرَّجُلِ، إِذَا كَفَاهُ الْمَشَقَّةَ وَالْحَرَّ، أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يَدْعُوهُ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، فَإِنْ كَرِهَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَطْعَمَ مَعَهُ فَلْيُطْعِمْهُ أُكْلَةً فِي يَدِهِ.
It is narrated from Abu az-Zubair (may Allah have mercy on him) that a man asked Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him): "The servant who saves a person from hardship and heat (and prepares food), did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) command that he be made to sit and eat with him?" He replied: "Yes! But if any of you dislikes making him sit and eat with him, then he should at least put one or two morsels in his hand."
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Usman Muneeb
Benefits and Issues:
This hadith is an explanation of the aforementioned hadith of Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu, which states that a servant and attendant should be made to sit and eat together. That is, the generality found in Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu’s hadith has been clarified here: it is not obligatory to make the servant sit and eat together, though it is certainly better. If a person cannot make him sit together, then he should give him separately, because the servant has prepared the food and spared the master from heat and hardship, so he is deserving that he should eat from that food.
From this, it is also understood that in the best of generations (khayr al-quroon), even the servants were trustworthy in faith and did not betray in the prepared food. However, nowadays, cooks and employees first fulfill their own share and then give to the owners. In any case, both parties should pay attention to their respective duties.
This hadith is an explanation of the aforementioned hadith of Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu, which states that a servant and attendant should be made to sit and eat together. That is, the generality found in Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu’s hadith has been clarified here: it is not obligatory to make the servant sit and eat together, though it is certainly better. If a person cannot make him sit together, then he should give him separately, because the servant has prepared the food and spared the master from heat and hardship, so he is deserving that he should eat from that food.
From this, it is also understood that in the best of generations (khayr al-quroon), even the servants were trustworthy in faith and did not betray in the prepared food. However, nowadays, cooks and employees first fulfill their own share and then give to the owners. In any case, both parties should pay attention to their respective duties.
Source: Fadlullah al-Ahad: Urdu Commentary on al-Adab al-Mufrad, Page: 198
