He used to say, "By Allah, besides whom there is no deity, I would press my liver against the ground from hunger, and I would tie a stone over my stomach from hunger.One day I sat by the path they used to take when going out. Abu Bakr passed by, and I asked him about a verse from the Book of Allah. I only asked him so that he might feed me, but he passed on without doing so.Then Umar passed by, and I asked him about a verse from the Book of Allah. I only asked him so that he might feed me, but he passed on without doing so.Then Abu Qasim ﷺ passed by me. He smiled when he saw me, for he recognized what was in my heart and on my face, and he said, 'Abu Hurayrah.'I said, 'At your service, Messenger of Allah.'He said, 'Come along,' and went on his way. So I followed him.He entered his home, and I asked permission to enter. He granted it, so I went in. He found milk in a cup and asked, 'Where did this milk come from?'They said, 'So-and-so, a man or a woman, sent it as a gift to you.'He said, 'Abu Hurayrah.'I said, 'At your service, Messenger of Allah.'He said, 'Go to the people of the Suffah and call them to me.'Now the people of the Suffah were the guests of Islam. They had no family to go to, no property, and no one to depend on. Whenever charity came to the Prophet, he would send it to them and take none of it himself. Whenever a gift came to him, he would send for them and partake of it along with them, sharing it with them.This troubled me, and I thought to myself, "What good is this little milk among the people of the Suffah? I had more right to drink some of this milk to give myself strength. When they come, he will order me to serve them, and I will be the one giving it to them. What hope is there of any of this milk reaching me?" Yet there was no avoiding obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.So I went to them and called them, and they came. They asked permission to enter, and he granted it, and they took their seats in the house.He said, 'Abu Hurayrah.'I said, 'At your service, Messenger of Allah.'He said, 'Take it and give it to them.'So I took the cup and began handing it to one man, and he would drink until he had his fill, then return the cup to me. Then I would give it to the next man, and he would drink until he had his fill, then return the cup to me. Then the next would drink until he had his fill and return the cup to me, until I came to the Prophet ﷺ, and all the people had drunk their fill.He took the cup, placed it on his hand, looked at me, and smiled. He said, 'Abu Hurayrah.'I said, 'At your service, Messenger of Allah.'He said, 'Only you and I are left.'I said, 'You have spoken truly, Messenger of Allah.'He said, 'Sit and drink.'So I sat and drank.He said, 'Drink.'So I drank. He kept saying, 'Drink,' until I said, 'No, by the One who sent you with the truth, I have no room left for it.'He said, 'Then hand it to me.'So I gave him the cup. He praised Allah, said the name of Allah, and drank what remained."
حدثني أبو نعيم بنحو من نصف هذا الحديث حدثنا عمر بن ذر حدثنا مجاهد أن
كان يقول أالله الذي لا إله إلا هو إن كنت لأعتمد بكبدي على الأرض من الجوع وإن كنت لأشد الحجر على بطني من الجوع ولقد قعدت يوما على طريقهم الذي يخرجون منه فمر أبو بكر فسألته عن آية من كتاب الله ما سألته إلا ليشبعني فمر ولم يفعل ثم مر بي عمر فسألته عن آية من كتاب الله ما سألته إلا ليشبعني فمر فلم يفعل ثم مر بي أبو القاسم ﷺ فتبسم حين رآني وعرف ما في نفسي وما في وجهي ثم قال يا أبا هر قلت لبيك يا رسول الله قال الحق ومضى فتبعته فدخل فاستأذن فأذن لي فدخل فوجد لبنا في قدح فقال من أين هذا اللبن قالوا أهداه لك فلان أو فلانة قال أبا هر قلت لبيك يا رسول الله قال الحق إلى أهل الصفة فادعهم لي قال وأهل الصفة أضياف الإسلام لا يأوون إلى أهل ولا مال ولا على أحد إذا أتته صدقة بعث بها إليهم ولم يتناول منها شيئا وإذا أتته هدية أرسل إليهم وأصاب منها وأشركهم فيها فساءني ذلك فقلت وما هذا اللبن في أهل الصفة كنت أحق أنا أن أصيب من هذا اللبن شربة أتقوى بها فإذا جاء أمرني فكنت أنا أعطيهم وما عسى أن يبلغني من هذا اللبن ولم يكن من طاعة الله وطاعة رسوله ﷺ بد فأتيتهم فدعوتهم فأقبلوا فاستأذنوا فأذن لهم وأخذوا مجالسهم من البيت قال يا أبا هر قلت لبيك يا رسول الله قال خذ فأعطهم قال فأخذت القدح فجعلت أعطيه الرجل فيشرب حتى يروى ثم يرد علي القدح فأعطيه الرجل فيشرب حتى يروى ثم يرد علي القدح فيشرب حتى يروى ثم يرد علي القدح حتى انتهيت إلى النبي ﷺ وقد روي القوم كلهم فأخذ القدح فوضعه على يده فنظر إلي فتبسم فقال أبا هر قلت لبيك يا رسول الله قال بقيت أنا وأنت قلت صدقت يا رسول الله قال اقعد فاشرب فقعدت فشربت فقال اشرب فشربت فما زال يقول اشرب حتى قلت لا والذي بعثك بالحق ما أجد له مسلكا قال فأرني فأعطيته القدح فحمد الله وسمى وشرب الفضلة