Brotherly Interaction in Social Gatherings

At this point, it may be inquired that undoubtedly, in the work of offices and responsibilities, Islām has given teachings of true equality and has paved the way for equal success for all, yet despite this administrative equality, it was possible that there remained a rift amongst different kinds of people in civil affairs and interaction and that Islām did not remove this rift. Therefore, in response to this, Islām has very meticulously healed this rupture as well. As such, in addition to the Qur’ānic injunctions mentioned above that all Muslims are brothers and they should live together as brothers,1 with relevance to the greatest means and greatest realm of social relations, i.e., mutual invitations and feasts, the Holy Prophet(sa) states:

“The worst and most detestable banquet is the one in which only the rich are invited and the poor are not. Moreover, one who refuses the invitation of his brother is disobedient to God and His Messenger.”2

In this blessed instruction, the Holy Prophet(sa) has expressed immense dislike for the fact that rich people only invited the rich to their banquets, etc., and forgot the poor as if they were some other race. Moreover, in actuality, the spirit of equality begins to diminish more so in social affairs, because the influence of such social affairs directly effects the heart. Similarly, the Holy Prophet(sa) also emphatically instructed that if a poor man invites a rich person for an invitation of food, it is unacceptable for the rich man to reject the invitation thinking arrogantly due to his affluence, that eating at the home of a poor man is degrading to his custom or disposition. Therefore, in order to open the way to such invitations, the Holy Prophet(sa) stated:

“Even if a poor man prepares the foot of a goat or sheep, and invites me to a feast, I shall definitely accept the invitation.”3

It should be remembered that here the meaning of the word Kurā‘ is the lower part of the foot, which is below the ankle.4 Verily, this is a simple type of food, because the portion below the ankle is really the hoof. However, even if the word Kurā‘ is taken to represent the whole foot, it is still found from Arab accounts that in that ancient era, the Arabs did not consider this a good meal. As such, there was a famous expression of the Arabs:

“Do not permit your slave to taste the foot or he will look up and demand the meat of the hindquarters and forelegs too.”5

In any case, in this Ḥadīth the Holy Prophet(sa) has presented his personal model to the Muslims and has encouraged them that irrespective of how poor the one who invites them may be, to not reject his invitation merely on the basis of his poverty. If not, he warned that such a schism could develop in society, which would gradually destroy everyone.

With relevance to sitting harmoniously in gatherings, Islām gives the same golden teachings, whereby a peasant should not be moved to make space for a nobleman, if he arrives later. As such, it is mentioned in a Ḥadīth:

“The Holy Prophet(sa) forbade that an individual be moved, so that another individual may be seated in his place. He would state that if space becomes tight, and there are extra people, everyone should move together to accommodate the others.”6

The same principle has been upheld at the time of Ṣalāt in the mosques, where no spot is reserved for anyone. If a servant comes first, he should find space in the first row and if a master comes later, he should sit in the last row. Hence, in the house of God, the rich and poor, master and servant, ruler and subject, powerful and weak are all equal, and no distinction is made. So was the state of the assemblies of the Holy Prophet(sa), wherein the Holy Prophet(sa) would sit and mix with his companions in such a manner, that sometimes it would be difficult for a stranger to ascertain and recognise who the Holy Prophet(sa) was and where he was seated.7