Abu Hurayrah narrated: “The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam, went out one day and came across Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. He, sallallaahu
‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “What has brought you out of your houses at this
hour?” They said: ‘hunger, O Messenger of Allah.’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam, said: “And I also, By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, came
out for the same reason, so get up.” They got up with him and went to visit
a man of the Ansaar2, but he was not at home. When his wife saw him, she said:
‘Welcome!’ The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to her:
“Where is so-and-so?” She said: ‘He has gone to get water for us.’ Then the
man from the Ansaar came and saw the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam, and his two companions and said: ‘All praise is due to Allah, today
no one has more honorable guests than I.’ He went and brought them a branch
with unripe and ripe dates on it and said: ‘Eat from this.’ He then took a knife,
and the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to him: “Do not
slaughter one which gives milk.” So he slaughtered for them and they ate
from the sheep and from that branch and drank. When they were full and their
thirst quenched, the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to
Abu Bakr and ‘Umar: “By The One Who has my soul in His Hand, you
will be asked about this pleasure on the Day of Rising. Hunger brought you out of your houses and you did not return until you had received
this pleasure.””