154 – ʿAbdullāh narrated to us; he said: al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-Qurashī and al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-ʿIjlī both related, saying: ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad narrated to us ⦗106⦘; he said: Zāfir ibn Sulaymān informed us, from Yaḥyā ibn ʿAbd al-Malik, from a man, from Anas ibn Mālik, who traced it back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):

“Jacob (peace be upon him) had a companion to whom he was joined in brotherhood. The man asked him, ‘What has taken away your sight and bent your back?’ He replied, ‘My sight was lost through weeping over Joseph, and my back was bent through grieving over Benjamin.’

Allah, Glorified and Exalted, then revealed to him: ‘O Jacob, are you not ashamed to complain about Me to someone other than Me?’ Jacob answered, ‘I only complain of my anguish ⦗Yūsuf 12:86⦘ and my sorrow to Allah.’ He then prayed: ‘My Lord, have mercy on this old man: You have taken my sight and bent my back. Return to me my fragrant child so that I may inhale her scent, and then do with me as You will.’

Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him and said, ‘Allah sends you His greeting of peace and says: Rejoice, and let your heart be glad. By My might, were they both dead I would certainly resurrect them for you. Prepare food for the poor, for the very thing that took away your sight, bent your back, and enabled Joseph’s brothers to do what they did was that you slaughtered a sheep, a fasting man came to you, and you gave him none of it.’

After that, whenever Jacob wished to have lunch he would order his herald to announce: ‘Whoever among the poor desires ⦗107⦘ lunch, let him lunch with Jacob.’ And when he was fasting he would order his herald to proclaim: ‘Whoever among the poor is fasting, let him break his fast with Jacob (peace be upon him).’