Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 6165

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not boast about those forefathers of yours who died in the Days of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah). Shall I tell you about this? The example of your forefathers who died in the Days of Ignorance is like that of a king who built a palace on the road, arranged food in it, assigned some people this duty, and said: Whoever passes by shall eat from this food of mine before going. So whenever anyone passed by there in fine condition and fine clothes, his servants would go to him, attach themselves to him and bring him along until he ate the food. Meanwhile a man came whose condition was poor and whose clothes were shabby, and they did not let him come in. When this went on for a long time, Allah Almighty sent an angel outwardly in a poor appearance and shabby clothes. He passed by there, and they rose, went towards him and pushed him away. The angel said: I am hungry, and food is prepared only for the hungry. They said: This is the king's food; only the righteous may eat it. They pushed the angel away, and he left. Then he came in a fine form and fine clothes and passed by as though he was not coming towards them, passing at some distance. Those servants went to him, reached him and said: Come and eat from the king's food. He said: I do not want it. The servant said: If the king learns of it, he will not leave you alone, that a man like you simply passed by and did not eat the food; this will weigh heavily on the king, and we fear that we will face punishment from the king. They compelled the angel and brought him along to the food. They placed the food before him, and the angel began putting the food into his clothes. The servant asked: What are you doing? The angel said: I came to you in a poor state and shabby clothes and told you that I was hungry, yet at that time you did not give me anything to eat; and when I have come to you in a fine state and fine clothes, you forced me, overpowered me and did not let me go at all. So may Allah Almighty make you vile and make your king vile too. Your king has made this food for the sake of this world, and he has no share with Allah Almighty. The narrator said: (or the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:) Then that angel ascended, and punishment descended upon those people.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Sulayman al-Qafila'i. Ibn Adi said: I see no harm in his hadith. Al-Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: He is matruk (abandoned).