Readers will note with me two strange points in al-Mundhiri’s statement:

First, he mentions the name Muqbil in the hadith of Jabir. This is sheer error, for it has no basis—neither in Muslim nor, to my knowledge, anywhere else. It is most likely that it too is a corruption of the name Yaʿla, just as it was corrupted into al-ʿAlaʾ in the previously cited narration of al-Tahawi. Second, he mentions the word “boy” in the hadith of Jabir, though it likewise has no basis in it. Rather, it occurs in the aforementioned hadith of Samurah, which appears in Muslim immediately before the hadith of Jabir. I fear that his sight or memory shifted from it to the one before it. And Allah knows best.

The Occasion for the Revelation of the Almighty’s words: “And they give preference over themselves …” the verse

3272—“Allah laughed—or was amazed—at what you two did [for your guest tonight], and Allah revealed: ‘They give preference over themselves, even though they are in privation. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his own soul—it is they who are the successful.’ That is, Abu Talhah al-Ansari and his wife.”

Al-Bukhari narrated it (3798 and 4889), as did al-Adab al-Mufrad (740), Muslim (2054), and al-Tirmidhi (3304), in abridged form; likewise al-Nasa’i in al-Sunan al-Kubra (6/486/11582), and al-Bayhaqi also (4/185) and in al-Asmaʾ (p. 469), through several routes from Fudayl ibn Ghazwan, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayrah:

A man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, [and said, “I have been afflicted by hardship”—in another narration: “I am exhausted”]. He sent word to his wives, and they said, “[By Him Who sent you with the truth!] We have nothing but water.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then said:

“Who will take in—or host—this man [may Allah have mercy on him]?”