The Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, evaluated their level of poverty, and would honor and console them accordingly

In another narration Abu Hurayrah states: “At times, I would be so hungry that I would be lying unconscious and senseless between the pulpit and the house of `Aa’ishah, and a person would come to me and step on my neck, thinking

that I was insane, but I was only hungry.”

Abu Hurayrah said: “One day, I sat on the path that was used often, and Abu Bakr  passed me, so I asked him about a verse from Allah’s Book. I only  asked him so he would ask me to follow him (for dinner). But, he did  not do so.

Then, `Umar passed, so I asked him about a verse from Allah’s  Book. I only asked him so he would ask me to follow him, but he, too, did not.

Then, I walked a little bit, but then fell on my face out of tiredness and hunger. The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, appeared by my head. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, smiled when he saw me, took my hand, stood me up, and knew what my
face was showing, and knew what I was feeling. Then he, sallallaahu  ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘O Abu Hirr [i.e. a diminutive of his nickname],’ and I said: ‘I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah.’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Follow me.’

Then, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, walked ahead and I followed him. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, entered his house, asked permission to allow me to enter and then allowed me to enter. 

He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, found a bowl of milk and said: ‘Where did this milk come from?’ They said: ‘So-and-so gave  it to us as a gift.’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘O Abu Hirr,’ I said: ‘I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah.’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Go to Ahl As-Suffah and call them here.’

Ahl As-Suffah were the guests of Islam, they had no support, neither family nor wealth. If any charity came to the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, he would send it straight to them, and would not use any of it; and if he received a gift, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would take some of it, and share the rest with them, and that bothered me, so I said: ‘This will not be sufficient for
all of Ahl As-Suffah. I am more worthy of drinking from this milk, so I can strengthen myself.’

When they come, he will order me to serve them; what would remain from this milk for me; however, there was no doubt that I had
to obey Allah and His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. So, I went and called them. They came, were given permission to enter,
and sat in the house. The Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘O Abu Hurayrah,’ I said: ‘I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah.’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Take, and serve them.’

So, I took the bowl and was serving each man, until he was satisfied; he would give me the bowl back, and I would pass it to the next, and he would drink, until he was satisfied and would give me the bowl back, and so on.

Then, I reached the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and everyone present had become satisfied. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, took the bowl and placed it in his hand, looked at me, smiled and said: ‘O Abu Hurayrah,’ I said: ‘I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Only you and I remain?’ I said: ‘You have spoken the truth, O Messenger of Allah.’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Sit and drink.’ So, I sat and drank. Then he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said again: ‘Drink.’ So, I drank more.

He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, kept saying: ‘Drink,’ until I said: ‘No, by He Who has sent you with the truth, I am full.’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Give it to me.’ I gave him the bowl, whereupon he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, praised Allah, and said: ‘Bismillaah,’ and drank the remainder of the milk.

Then I met `Umar and told him about my matter, and said to him, ‘Allah gave that to someone who was more deserving than you, O `Umar. And by Allah, I asked you about the verse, while I am more knowledgeable than you in it.’ `Umar said: ‘By Allah, for me to have invited you into my home is more beloved to me than having red camels.

Thus, the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, realized who the poor were, and would notice signs of hunger that were apparent on their faces, and in turn, would console whom he could.

Abu Hurayrah said:

“Three days passed over me wherein I ate no food. So I went to As-Suffah and began falling, which caused the young children to say, ‘Abu Hurayrah has gone crazy.’ called back to them saying, ‘Rather, you are crazy,’ until I got to the Suffah.

I happened to come across the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when he was brought a platter of Thareed (a dish made of meat, bread and broth), and so he invited the people of As-Suffah to eat from it. They ate from it while I was lurking around, hoping to be invited to eat. When everyone finished and subsequently stood up, there was only some small amount left on the edges of the plate, so the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, collected it, and it became a morsel. Then he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, put it on his fingers and said: ‘Eat in the Name of Allah,’ and by Allah, I continued to eat until I was full.”

Abu Hurayrah in this story, alluded to the custom of the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when dealing with the poor Companions, when he said: “If some charity came to him, he would send it to them and would not consume any of it, and if a gift came to him, he, sallallaahu ‘alyhu wa sallam, would use a part of it and share the rest with them.”

In the story of Salmaan Al-Farsi (before he accepted Islam) he said: “I had something that I collected, and when it was evening, I took
it and went to the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, while he was in Qubaa’. I entered on him and said: ‘I heard that you are a righteous man, and that you have Companions that are needy, and so this is something that I present as a charity, as I found you are more worthy of it than others.’I put it close to him, and he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to his Companions: ‘Eat,’ but he held back his hand and did not eat.

So I said to myself: ‘This is one (sign of his truthfulness).’

Then I went away from him and gathered something, and the
Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, went back to Madinah, then I went to him with what I gathered (of food), and said: ‘I noticed that you do not consume charity, so this is a gift that I am giving to honor you.’ So the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ate from it and ordered the Companions to eat with him.

So I said to myself: ‘This is two.’”… to the end of the narration.

This story confirms the one above it (i.e. of Abu Hurayrah), that if charity came to the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would leave for the poor and would not consume any of it. However, if a gift came to him, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would use a part of it and share the rest with them.