Host of the Holy Prophet (sa) (In light of Ahadith)
The reference from Introduction to the Study of the Holy Quran by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) is complete and now the following is a hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra). Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) narrates that the Holy Prophet (sa) came to his home. The Holy Prophet (sa) stayed on the lower storey of the house while Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) was staying on the upper storey of the house. The narrator says that one night, Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) woke up and said that they were walking above the Holy Prophet (sa) and thus moved to one side and spent the entire night in a corner. Later, when he expressed this to the Holy Prophet (sa), he replied by saying that it was easier for him to remain on the lower floor. Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) said that he could not reside on the upper level, while the Holy Prophet (sa) resided beneath it. Thus, the Holy Prophet (sa) moved to the upper level and Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) came down to the lower storey of the house.
“Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) would prepare food for the Holy Prophet (sa) and when whatever remained from the food would be brought back to him, he would enquire from the person who brought it back as to where the Holy Prophet’s (ra) fingers had touched the food and Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) would touch the same places; meaning he ate from the exact place where the Holy Prophet (sa) had eaten from.
“Once he prepared food for the Holy Prophet (sa) which contained some garlic. When the food was brought back, he enquired once again as to where the Holy Prophet (sa) had eaten from. When he was informed that the Holy Prophet (sa) had not eaten that day, he became worried and went upstairs to the Holy Prophet (sa) to ask whether garlic was haram [forbidden]. The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, ‘No, but I personally dislike it.’ Hearing this, Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) said, “If you dislike something, then I dislike it as well,” or he said, “If you do not like something, then I will not like it either.”
The narrator says that angels would visit the Holy Prophet (sa). This is a narration from Sahih Muslim. Since the angels would visit the Holy Prophet (sa), therefore he disliked anything with an unpleasant odour; however, he did not say it was forbidden.
Another narration from Sahih Muslim is also recorded as such; Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) narrates, “When food would be presented to the Holy Prophet (sa), he would eat from it and would send whatever was left to me. One day, he sent back the food, from which he had not eaten at all because it contained garlic. I asked the Holy Prophet (sa) whether this was forbidden, to which he replied, ‘No, but I do not like it due to its smell.’ Upon this, Hazrat Abu Ayub (ra) said, ‘I also dislike that which you dislike.’”
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Ashribah, Bab Ibahat al-Akl al-Thum, Hadith 5356-5358)
There is another narration from Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal in which this same incident has been recorded in the following manner; Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) narrates: “The Holy Prophet (sa) stayed on the lower storey of our home while I was residing on the upper level. Once, some water spilled on the upper level and so I, along with Umm Ayub, began drying the water with a sheet of cloth, for fear that lest some water drips onto the Holy Prophet (sa). Then, I nervously went before the Holy Prophet (sa) and submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, it feels inappropriate for us to be residing above you. I request that you move to the upper level.’ Thus, upon the instruction of the Holy Prophet (sa), his belongings, which comprised of very little, were moved to the upper level.
“I then submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, whenever you sent [some of your] food back to me, I would find the imprints of your fingers and would place my hand on the very same place. Today, however, when you sent the food back to me, I did not find the imprints of your fingers.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, ‘You are right. Actually, it contained onions’” – onions have been mentioned here instead of garlic – “‘and I did not wish to eat it due to the fact that there is an angel who comes to visit me. However, you may eat it.’”
(Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 7, Musnad Abu Ayub Ansari, Hadith 23966 [Beirut, Lebanon: Alam al-Kutub, 1998], 781)