offers you a gift or hands you something only out of shyness and embarrassment, you must not accept it from him, for in effect he is being coerced. For that reason the scholars—may Allah have mercy on them—have ruled that it is forbidden to accept a gift when you know it was given merely out of modesty or embarrassment. The same ruling applies if you pass by someone’s house while he is inside and he says, “Please come in,” yet you realize he said it only out of courtesy and embarrassment; do not enter, for he is likewise compelled. This is part of the etiquette of gatherings that the Prophet ﷺ laid down for his community: a person must not make his brother stand up from his seat and then sit in it himself.

827 – Jabir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “When we came to the Prophet ﷺ, each of us would sit wherever the gathering ended.” Reported by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, who declared it a good (hasan) hadith.

828 – Abu ʿAbd Allah Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “No man bathes on Friday and purifies himself as best he can …”