The people of Suffah were poor folk, and the Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever has food for two should take a third with him, and whoever has food for four should take a fifth or a sixth."Abu Bakr brought three home with him, and the Prophet ﷺ took ten. So it was myself, my father, and my mother (I am not sure if he also said, "and my wife,") and a servant shared between our house and the house of Abu Bakr.Abu Bakr ate his evening meal with the Prophet ﷺ, then stayed on until the night prayer was performed. He returned to the Prophet ﷺ and remained with him until the Prophet ﷺ had eaten his supper, then came home after as much of the night had passed as Allah willed.His wife said to him, "What kept you from your guests?" Or she said, "your guest?"He asked, "Have you not given them their supper?"She replied, "They refused to eat until you came. The food was offered to them, but they refused."I went and hid myself, and he called out, "You little fool!" He scolded and cursed, then said, "Eat, and may it bring you no joy!" He swore, "By Allah, I will never eat it!"By Allah, we would not take a single morsel except that more would rise up from beneath it, until they were full and the food became more than it had been before. Abu Bakr looked at it, and there it was, just as it had been or even more.He said to his wife, "Sister of Banu Firas, what is this?"She replied, "No, by the delight of my eyes, it is now three times more than it was before."So Abu Bakr ate from it and said, "That oath was only from Satan." He ate a morsel of it, then carried it to the Prophet ﷺ, and it remained with him until morning.We had a treaty with some people, and when its term ended, we divided into twelve men, each man having with him a number of people known only to Allah. They all ate from that food. Or as he said.
حدثنا أبو النعمان قال حدثنا معتمر بن سليمان قال حدثنا أبي حدثنا أبو عثمان
أن أصحاب الصفة كانوا أناسا فقراء وأن النبي ﷺ قال من كان عنده طعام اثنين فليذهب بثالث وإن أربع فخامس أو سادس وأن أبا بكر جاء بثلاثة فانطلق النبي ﷺ بعشرة قال فهو أنا وأبي وأمي فلا أدري قال وامرأتي وخادم بيننا وبين بيت أبي بكر وإن أبا بكر تعشى عند النبي ﷺ ثم لبث حيث صليت العشاء ثم رجع فلبث حتى تعشى النبي ﷺ فجاء بعد ما مضى من الليل ما شاء الله قالت له امرأته وما حبسك عن أضيافك أو قالت ضيفك قال أوما عشيتيهم قالت أبوا حتى تجيء قد عرضوا فأبوا قال فذهبت أنا فاختبأت فقال يا غنثر فجدع وسب وقال كلوا لا هنيئا فقال والله لا أطعمه أبدا وايم الله ما كنا نأخذ من لقمة إلا ربا من أسفلها أكثر منها قال يعني حتى شبعوا وصارت أكثر مما كانت قبل ذلك فنظر إليها أبو بكر فإذا هي كما هي أو أكثر منها فقال لامرأته يا أخت بني فراس ما هذا قالت لا وقرة عيني لهي الآن أكثر منها قبل ذلك بثلاث مرات فأكل منها أبو بكر وقال إنما كان ذلك من الشيطان يعني يمينه ثم أكل منها لقمة ثم حملها إلى النبي ﷺ فأصبحت عنده وكان بيننا وبين قوم عقد فمضى الأجل ففرقنا اثنا عشر رجلا مع كل رجل منهم أناس الله أعلم كم مع كل رجل فأكلوا منها أجمعون أو كما قال