“O Anas,” he said, “go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, invite him, and you know well what provisions we have.”

So I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while his Companions were with him and said, “Abū Ṭalḥah invites you to a meal.” He rose and said to the people, “Rise.” They rose, and I walked ahead of him until I reached Abū Ṭalḥah and told him. He exclaimed, “You have put us in a predicament!” I replied, “I could not turn back the command of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived he said to them, “Sit down,” and he entered with ten men. Once inside, the food was brought; he took some and ate, and the people ate with him until they were satisfied. He then said, “Stand up, and let another ten take your place.” The groups kept coming in until everyone had entered and eaten. I asked, “How many were they?” He said, “A little over eighty.” And enough remained for the household to satisfy them as well.

Muslim has also recorded this ḥadīth in the Book of Foods (1) through ʿAmr al-Nāqid, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jaʿfar al-Raqqī, ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿAmr, ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿUmayr, and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā, from Anas, who said: Abū Ṭalḥah told Umm Sulaym, “Prepare some food exclusively for the Prophet ﷺ so that he may eat from it,” and he mentioned something similar to what has just been related.

Another chain from Anas

Abū Yaʿlā said: Shuʿjāʿ ibn Makhlad related to us; Wahb ibn Jarīr related to us; my father related to us; I heard Jarīr ibn Zayd narrate from ʿAmr ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Ṭalḥah, from Anas ibn Mālik:

Abū Ṭalḥah saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ lying in the mosque, turning from his back to his stomach. He went to Umm Sulaym and said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah lying in the mosque, turning from his back to his stomach.” Umm Sulaym baked a flat loaf of bread. Abū Ṭalḥah then said to me, “Go and invite the Messenger of Allah.” I went to him while his Companions were with him and said, “O Messenger of Allah, Abū Ṭalḥah invites you.” He rose and said, “Rise.” I hurried ahead of him to inform Abū Ṭalḥah that the Messenger of Allah was being followed by his Companions. Abū Ṭalḥah went out to meet him and said, “O Messenger of Allah, it is only a loaf.” He replied, “Allah will bless it.”

The Messenger of Allah entered, and the loaf was brought in a large dish. He asked, “Is there any butter?” Some butter was brought. He hollowed out the loaf with his finger like this, lifted it, poured in the butter, and said, “Eat from around my fingers.” The people ate until they were full. Then he said, “Bring in another ten.” They ate until they were full, and the groups continued eating until they were satisfied. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abū Ṭalḥah, Umm Sulaym, and I all ate until we too were full, and a portion remained which we sent as a gift to some neighbours (2).

Muslim likewise recorded it (3) in the Book of Foods of his Ṣaḥīḥ through Ḥasan al-Ḥulwānī, from Wahb (4), from Jarīr ibn