Sahih Adab al-Mufrad

Nuaim bin Qanab narrates that I came to Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) but did not find him. I asked his wife: Where is Abu Dharr? She said: He has gone to do some work, he will be back soon. I sat down to wait for him. When Abu Dharr came, he had two camels with him, tied one behind the other. Each of them had a small water skin tied around its neck. He unloaded them and then came to me. I said: Abu Dharr! There is no one whose meeting I like more than yours, and no one whose meeting I dislike more than yours. He said: May Allah bless your father, how did these two things come together? I said: In the time of ignorance, I buried a girl alive. I was afraid that if I met you, you might say that now there is no repentance or salvation for you, and I also hoped that you might say that there is repentance and salvation is possible. He said: Did you commit this sin in the time of ignorance? I said: Yes. He said: Allah has forgiven all past sins. After that, he said to his wife: Bring food for us. She refused. He asked again, she refused again, until both their voices were raised. Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Listen, you cannot go beyond the limit that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has set regarding you. I said: What did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say about her? He said: Woman was created from a rib, and if you try to straighten her, you will break her, and if you deal with her kindly, there will remain some crookedness, but you will be able to get along. Then she got up and brought tharid (a dish of meat and bread), as if it was a wild pigeon (because tharid contains both meat and bread). (Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him) said: Eat, I will not frighten you (the food seemed little, and if Abu Dharr ate, perhaps the guest would remain hungry), because I am fasting. Then he got up and started praying, and he prayed a light prayer. Then he came and started eating. I said: Alas, I did not expect that you would lie to me. He said: May Allah bless your father, since you met me, I have not lied. I said: Did you not tell me that you are fasting? He said: Why not. I have fasted three days of this month, and the reward (of the whole month) has been written for me, and food is lawful for me (meaning it is a voluntary fast, I can break it because I have already received the reward of fasting for the whole month).