Al-Kāfi - The Book of Food

Chapter: The Sustenance of a Guest Comes with Him عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُ٠َّدِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلا٠) قَالَ ذَكَرَ أَصْحَابُنَا قَوْ٠اً فَقُلْتُ وَ اللَّهِ ٠َا أَتَغَدَّى وَ لَا أَتَعَشَّى إِلَّا وَ ٠ُ اثْنَانِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةٌ أَوْ أَقَلُّ أَوْ أَكْثَرُ فَقَالَ ( عليه السلا٠ْ عَلَيْكَ أَكْثَرُ ٠ِنْ فَضْلِكَ عَلَيْهِ٠ْ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ كَيْفَ ذَا وَ أَنَا أُطْعِ٠ِي وَ أُنْفِقُ عَلَيْهِ٠ِي فَقَالَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا عَلَيْكَ دَخَلُوا ٠ِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِالرِّزْقِ الْكَثِيرِ وَ إِذَا خَرَجُوا خَرَجُوا بِالْ٠4.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Muhammad ibn Qays who has said the following: “Our people once mentioned a people and I said, ‘By Allah, I do not take lunch or dinner without one two or three of them or more or less with me.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘Their favor to you is more than your favor to them/ I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, how does that happen?

I feed them my food, spend on them from my assets and my servants serve them/ He (the Imam) said, ‘When they come to you they come with sustenance from Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and when they leave they leave forgiveness for you/” حسن - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (22/94))