40 – Abu Zakariyya al-Khath‘ami narrated to us, from Abu ‘Ubaydah, who said: Abu Luḥaym al-Kilabi related: “A man once sought hospitality from Hatim during a hard year, and Hatim could find nothing to set before him. He asked his cousins for provisions, but they too had nothing. Hatim owned a she-camel that he used for travel; he said to her, ‘Kneel,’ then slaughtered her. He served one half of the meat to his guests and sent the other half to his family. Hatim then said:

I never slight the guest who seeks me out,
Nor do I offer what is distant and out of reach.
He shares with me whatever I possess whenever he arrives,
For every store of food, if I hoard it, is destined to vanish.”