Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
11. If there are several varieties of food served to the guest, then the guest may eat what is to his liking, but he should at least taste from each dish of food which is prepared.
By the guest tasting from all the dishes of food, the host and his family will feel appreciated for all the effort they put in preparing for the guest. Apart from this, this is also among the rights which the host has over the guest.
However, if the guest is suffering from ill health or he is following a prescribed medical diet due to which he cannot eat certain foods, then in this case, he should excuse himself before the host and explain to him the reason for him not partaking from those foods.
12. Whatever food is presented before the guest, he should be appreciative of it. He should not find fault with the food, nor should he regard the food to be inferior. If the food is not to his taste and satisfaction, he should not make mention of this to his host as this will cause inconvenience and pain to the host and his family.
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لو دعيت إلى كراع لأجبت ولو أهدي إلي كراع لقبلت (صحيح البخاري، الرقم: 5178)
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “If I am invited to a meal of trotters (i.e. a simple meal), I would accept it, and if I am given a gift of trotters, I would (also) accept it.”
عن جابر بن عبد الله قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: نعم الإدام الخل وكفى بالمرء شرا أن يتسخط ما قرب إليه (شعب الإيمان للبيهقي، الرقم: 5483)
Hazrat Jaabir (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “Vinegar is an excellent gravy (to be eaten with bread etc), and this quality is sufficient to prove a man not being a good person (not possessing good character and good deeni morals and values) that he expresses dislike and resentment to the food that is presented before him (e.g. by his wife or his host or any other person).”
13. If one invites a few people for a meal to his home and among the guests there is a senior person present (e.g. a senior Aalim or Wali of Allah Ta‘ala,) then when serving the food to the guests, the host should first present the food to the senior person before serving it to others.
14. If the host serves the food to the guests who are seated on the dastarkhaan, then the guests should allow the senior person among them (e.g. a senior Aalim or Wali of Allah Ta‘ala) to dish out first. Thereafter, they may dish out for themselves.
عن حذيفة، قال: كنا إذا حضرنا مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم طعاما لم نضع أيدينا حتى يبدأ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فيضع يده (صحيح مسلم، الرقم: 2017)
Hazrat Huzaifah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports, “When we (i.e. the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu anhum) would be invited with Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) to a meal, we would not commence eating until Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) commenced.”
15. When sitting to eat, if there is ample seating, and the host does not mind that the guests sit in any place, then they may sit in whichever place they wish.
However, if the host wishes to seat the guests in a certain place, then they should comply and sit in the place they are asked to sit.
It is possible that the reason for the host asking them to sit in that specific place is so that their sight will not fall on the womenfolk of the home. If they do not sit in the place they are asked to sit, but rather sit in another place, then their sight may fall on the womenfolk of the home, and in this way, the privacy of the womenfolk of the home will be invaded and their purdah will be violated.
