[Explanation]

The author—may Allah have mercy on him—places in the chapter on hospitality and honoring the guest a series of reports that underscore the duty to respect and provide for one’s guest. Among them is the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in which the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his guest.” This wording serves as an explicit encouragement and inducement, indicating that honoring the guest is both a sign and a completion of faith in Allah and the Last Day. Whoever treats his guest generously will be rewarded by Allah Almighty on the Day of Resurrection—and He may reward him in this life as well—just as the Exalted has said: “Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter, We will increase for him his harvest” (42:20). Thus Allah recompenses him in this world by replacing what he has spent and, in the Hereafter, with a fitting reward. Hence the Prophet’s statement: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his guest.”

The form that hospitality takes varies with the guest’s circumstances. Some guests are nobles and dignitaries and must be honored in a manner appropriate to their standing; others are from the common folk and are honored in a manner that suits them; and there are still others of lesser status. The Prophet ﷺ left the command “honor him” unqualified, so it embraces every form of honoring. There are guests who, if they arrive at your home, are not satisfied with a dish that merely has two chickens or the like; such a person expects you to bring ample food.