have slaughtered one of our animals and ground a sāʿ of barley. Please come—just you and a few companions.’

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, thereupon raised his voice and announced, ‘People of the Trench! Jābir has prepared a feast for you. Welcome, all of you—come!’

He then said, ‘Do not take your pot off the fire and do not bake your dough until I arrive.’ So I hurried home while the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, set out at the head of the people.

When I reached my wife she cried, ‘What on earth have you done?’ I replied, ‘I only did what you told me.’

I brought him some dough; he spat into it and invoked blessing. Then he went to our cooking-pot, spat into it, and invoked blessing, after which he said, ‘Call a woman who knows how to bake; let her bake with me. Keep ladling from your pot, but do not lift it down.’

They were a thousand men, and—by Allah—every one of them ate until they were satisfied and left, while our pot was still bubbling just as it had been, and our dough was still being baked exactly as before.