Hospitality

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while it is true that in Islam, hospitality is important, I would be inclined to think that what glo experienced was more on the cultural side.
simply put, easterners have different ways of greeting etc than westerners.
 
Hospitality to me means staying at a five/seven star hotel, with all the amenities, the tourist guides aren't pushy and the weather delightful
 
^^ I would have seconded that too but I am somewhat financially challenged for the foreseeable future:-[

:D :w:
 
Thank you all for your thoughs and contributions.

From what I have read so far, hospitality can mean different things:

  • A getting-together and celebration amongst those we might call our own. (Such as an Eid celebration)
  • A reaching out to those in need: the poor and the hungry, the homeless and the sick. (Such as doorster emphasized)
  • A reaching out to overcome a cultural divide. (Such as I experienced with my neighbours)

Does that about sum it up?
Any more thoughts?
 
to me hospitality is a winning smile, a warm hug, effortless talking, forcing you to have third helpings and genuinely asking you to stay longer. i dont care if your house is a tip, although cleanlines if half of faith so keep it clean!
 
What doorster said about hospitality got me thinking.

On Saturday, when I came back from the town centre on the bus, I sat behind a man who was quite unkempt and ... well ... smelly. So smelly, in fact, that I started to feel quite nauseous.
As I caught myself starting to feel quite annoyed about this man, hoping that he would get off the bus anytime soon, I suddenly remembered that God loves this man too ... and that God instructs me to extend my love and care to this stranger too!

So, in the light of this thread I ask myself, if I would really invite this unwashed, messy stranger into my home, invite him to sit on my chair and share my food?

Well, would I??
Would you??
:-[
 
glo said:
....

Well, would I??
Would you??[/B]
:-[
Click to expand...

If I trust him, yes.

Otherwise, no.

I guess, there are some people you preach to and some you don't. Or, to put it another way: you can't give a present to every person who makes you smile (ideally, this would be really nice but I'm speaking in practical terms). Similarly, you can't give dawah to every person you meet. Live a good life (preferably as a muslim :p) and help (as many) people along the way. What counts as 'as many people' is upto you as an individual.
 
:sl:

This is a very interesting topic glo.

I have to say that initially I was not a very hospitable person. I really really disliked guests and would cringe everytime someone came to visit. Normally I would tell my mother "I'm in my room" and then lock myself in there for the length of their visit. It made me uneasy to sit with guests and make conversation and I would always constantly worry about silly things like ; what did they think of what we served? was it good enough? Did they think the house was messy? etc. etc. I just couldn't stand it.

Alhamdulillah it's not like that anymore, after experiencing the amazing hospitality of certain individuals, and some of them being my own uncles.

On returning back to Malaysia recently after a long time away, I have to say that I was quite quite taken aback at how hospitable and welcoming they were to their guests and how warmly they greeted them. When they said to make yourselves at home they really meant it!!

They would take everything they had in the house and present it to the guests. They would let the guests use their own bedrooms whilst they slept in the hallway on the floor. They are not so well-to do, but after being welcomed into their homes all you feel is just the warmth which they extend to the visitor, stranger or friend.And they really go out of the way to make you feel part of the household Masha'allah.

As for the example of the man on the bus that you gave glo, I honestly say that I would have second thoughts about inviting him into my home, but I know that my uncles definitely would not, they're just like that.

Well, I still haven't reached that level yet and at times large numbers of guests still trigger off a panic attack,and cause me to get a bit stiff, but at least i'm not as bad as before alhamdulillah
 
Just a neighbourhood update:

Yesterday evening our neighbour's son brought us a dish of lamb biryani.
It was delicious! (And just about as spicy as I can handle it! :phew :D)
 

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