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Hadith 20: (Jabir’s Banquet on the Day of Al-Khandaq)
Narrated Jabir:
We were digging (the trench) on the day of (Al-Khandaq ( i.e. Trench )) and we came across a big solid rock. We went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "Here is a rock appearing across the trench." He said, "I am coming down." Then he got up, and a stone was tied to his belly for we had not eaten anything for three days. So the Prophet (ﷺ) took the spade and struck the big solid rock and it became like sand. I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Allow me to go home." (When the Prophet (ﷺ) allowed me) I said to my wife, "I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) in a state that I cannot treat lightly. Have you got something (for him to eat?" She replied, "I have barley and a she goat." So I slaughtered the she-kid and she ground the barley; then we put the meat in the earthenware cooking pot. Then I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) when the dough had become soft and fermented and (the meat in) the pot over the stone trivet had nearly been well-cooked, and said, "I have got a little food prepared, so get up O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), you and one or two men along with you (for the food)." The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "How much is that food?" I told him about it. He said, "It is abundant and good. Tell your wife not to remove the earthenware pot from the fire and not to take out any bread from the oven till I reach there." Then he said (to all his companions), "Get up." So the Muhajirn (i.e. Emigrants) and the Ansar got up. Jabir said: [Only Allah knows how much I was embarrassed] When I came to my wife, I said, "Allah's Mercy be upon you! The Prophet came along with the Muhajirin and the Ansar and those who were present with them." She said, "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) ask you (how much food you had)?" I replied, "Yes." She said, “Allah and His Messenger know best! You told Him what you have.” I felt a bit relieved and I said, “You are right.” She (his wife) said: I brought out the kneaded flour and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) put some saliva of his in that and blessed it. He then put saliva in the earthen pot and blessed it and then said, “Call another baker who can bake with you.” Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Enter and do not throng." The Prophet (ﷺ) started cutting the bread (into pieces) and put the cooked meat over it. He covered the earthenware pot and the oven whenever he took something out of them. He would give the food to his companions and take the meat out of the pot. He went on cutting the bread and scooping the meat (for his companions) till they all ate their fill (and the guests were one thousand), and even then, some food remained. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said (to my wife), "Eat and present to others as the people are struck with hunger."
[Bukhari and Muslim]
Values:
Aqeedah Values:
1. The Prophet (Peace Be upon Him) has great qualities such as humility, piety, patience over hunger, generosity, support for his people as a leader, he would remain hungry with them and would not become full unless they eat with him.
2. The blessings of the Prophet (Peace Be upon Him) exist in His body, saliva, sweat, personal belongings and the places where He prayed.
3. The miracle of destroying the big sold rock into sand with one hit, and in another narrations, it was destroyed after three hits.
4. The miracle of feeding one thousand men with the food of two or three men, and the food remained the same without decrease.
5. Taking measures and means is a reflection of sound reliance on Allah, Allah’s Messenger (Peace Be upon Him) applied the view of Salman al-Farasi to dig the trench as a mean to defend Medinah. The Prophet (PBUH) also struck the big solid rock with the pickaxe, even though He (PBUH) was able to supplicate to Allah to just remove it.
Fiqh Values:
1. It is permissible for two people to converse secretly for a reason if they are part of a group, but if they are only three, it is banned for two to converse secretly leaving the third alone.
2. Basically, the person should accept a food invitation alone, and he may ask the host to bring uninvited people along with him, if the host does not permit that, the uninvited people should return. When Abu Shu'aib invited the Prophet (Peace Be upon Him), a man followed along who was uninvited so the Prophet (PBUH) said to Abu Shu'aib: “A man has followed us, Abu Shu'aib, so if you wish you may let him join us, but if you wish you may leave him outside.” He replied, “No, I shall let him join us.” The banquet of Jabir is an exception because it is an invitation with the blessings of the Prophet (Peace Be upon Him), Jabir was not the one who fed them.
3. There is a narration in which Jabir’s wife is the one who slaughtered the goat, this indicates that it is permissible for women to slaughter which is evident in other occasions, contrary to what is common among some people.
4. It is permissible for the guest to give advice to the host.
5. It is permissible for the guest to talk to the woman in the house where he is invited, to give them advice or guide them but not in private.
Dawah Value:
1. The leader should never be full while his soldiers hungry, the Prophet (Peace Be upon Him) was tying a stone around his belly due to hunger just like the rest of the people.
2. Do not rush things, victory comes with patience and hardship with ease, the best of humans Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) endured hunger under difficult circumstances such as the cold weather and the difficult digging of the trench. Allah’s support came on the fourth day with the banquet of Jabir, Allah could have fed them from the first day, but He tested the believers to raise their degree and purify them from the hypocrites.
3. The road to victory and predominance is a difficult, it is filled with obstacles and hardships such as the big solid rock faced by the Muslims while digging the trench, which required strong faithful truthful men who followed principles and values. Those men were ready to carry all hardships and pains and sacrifice everything to support the religion.
Generic Values:
1. Seeking the people of knowledge and experience at difficult times.
2. The Prophet (Peace Be upon Him) quickly responded to the call saying: “I am coming down.”
3. Seeking permission before leaving the gathering.
4. The Prophet (Peace Be upon Him) was loved by the Companions; Jabir could not bear seeing the Prophet (PBUH) hungry.
5. Sacrifice and altruism of the Companions is quite evident when Jabir offered all the food he had at home as a banquet for Allah’s Messenger (Peace Be upon Him).
6. “Only Allah knows how much I was embarrassed” It is not proper for a person to invite a number of people he cannot afford to feed, embarrassing himself and the guests.
7. The prudence and piety of Jabir’s wife, may Allah be pleased with her, she trusted and believed in the blessings of the Prophet (Peace Be upon Him) and reassured her husband with words like Khadijah, the wife of the Prophet (PBUH), when she said to Him: “By Allah, Allah will never let you down.”
8. “You are right”: Men should not be too proud to ask women for advice and tell them that their advice is correct, this was very repetitive in the Sunnah of the Prophet.
9. There is a narration in which the one who slaughtered the goat is Jabir, this shows the cooperation of the couple in preparing food.
10. The woman should help her husband in accommodating guests, preparing food and doing house chores.
11. “It is abundant and good”: Praising food even if it was not much or not good.
12. “Call another baker who can bake with you”, this shows the cooperation between women and neighbors during banquets and feasts and the support they offer to the men who fight.
13. “Call another baker who can bake with you”, this statement is to reassure the people of the house and a sign that there will be a miracle, so help is needed to do the baking. The earlier quantity of barley, mentioned in other narrations, does not require a group of women to prepare the food.
14. "Enter and do not throng.” This indicates the importance of order and the leader’s responsibility to establish order and cooperation among his people to do missions. In another narration the Prophet (Peace Be upon Him) said: “Enter ten by ten”.
15. The superiority of tharid (sopped bread, meat and broth) over all kinds of food and the blessing it includes.
16. Allah’s Messenger (Peace Be upon Him) cut the bread and put the meat over it for one thousand men, even though it is a difficult task, so that to bless the food.
17. “He covered the earthenware pot and the oven whenever he took something out of them.” He was doing so, so that the food would increase and no one would see, and to stop them from asking whether there was some food remaining, or would it be enough for the people? The question might decrease reliance on Allah and trusting His support and sustenance.
18. "Eat and present to others…” Giving food as a present is sunnah and it creates compassion and friendliness among people.
