Hospitality: Legitimacy, Rules of Etiquette, and Ruling in the light of the Holy Quran

Abstract

Islam clarifies, through the Holy Quran and the authentic Sunnah, how a Muslim should behave in his daily routines, including eating and drinking, greeting, asking permission (to enter someone else›s house), socializing with others, speaking, jesting and seriousness and all other countless rules of etiquette.

Rules of etiquette can be divided into rules of etiquette concerning Allah, rules of etiquette concenring the Prophet, rules of etiquette concerning Sharia, rules of etiquette concenring people, and rules of etiquette concerning oneself. The topic of this paper is about rules of etiquette concerning people, namely the etiquette of hospitality. 

The reason why we choose this topic is that we have a desire to serve the Book of Allah, the Almighty, by highlighting the etiquette of hospitality contained therein and need to learn about the rulings and etiquette of hospitality. Because hospitality is one of the good manners and laudable values.

We have explained in this paper that hospitality means entertaining and treating a guest kindly. Numerous texts from the Quran and the Sunnah confirm the legitimacy and virtue of hospitality. Moreover, the Companions, Followers and others are reported to have made meaningful statements and had habitual practices that cast more light on the virtue of this good manner.

We also point out that a number of the rules of etiquette on hospitality are reflected in the Quran- the purpose of the paper –, and they include the following: that one should extend the greeting before speaking when the guest is let in; that the greeting is to be returned in a better and more expressive way; that one should talk to the guest in a friendly and polite manner; that one should entertain the guest as quickly as possible; that one should be ready to entertain the guest at any time; that one himself should serve the guest; that one should bring the best stuff he has for the guest. There are other rules of etiquette clarified by the Prophetic Sunnah.

We also state that hospitality that lasts for more than three days is a kind of charity. As for the three-day hospitality, scholars differ on it. However, the most correct view is that giving hospitality to a transiting traveler, not the expatriate is obligatory for the inhabitants of villages and cities alike. This ruling is based on rigorous reasoning.