Aslam

(1) When you attend an invitation, don't sit in the middle place and don't occupy the best space. (2) Don't make delay in attending an invitation, as the guests may be waiting for you.
Don't attend it before the fixed time as the host may not prepare food beforehand. (3) Don't sit in such a manner as causes inconvenience to others. If there is any fixed place for you, don't act contrary to it. The Prophet said : To remain satisfied with a little space for sitting for the sake of God appertains to humility.
(4)' Don't look towards the place wherefrom food comes, as it is against good manners. (5) Entertain one who sits by your side and hold talk with him . (6) When a guest comes to a host, the latter should show to the former the direction of Qibla, places of calls of nature and ablution. (7) Make delay after meal to wash your hands. (8) If you see anything opposed to Shariat, remove it if you are able or else go away expressing your dislike therefor.

PRESENTATION OF FOOD BEFORE GUESTS

THERE ARE FIVE RULES IN IT

(1) Serve food before a gyest without delay as it honours the guest. The Prophet said : Let one who believe in God and the last day honour his guest. God said about Abraham : Have not the news of the honoured guests of Abraham come to you? He honoured them by placing food before them without delay and did not make delay in bringing a cooked beef In another verse, God said : He hurriedly went to his house and brought the meat of a roasted calf-11 : 69. The sage Hatem Asem said : Hastiness comes from the devil except in five cases. These five cases are the ways of the Prophet-to give food to a guest, to bury a dead man,

Vol-II The Book of Wordly Usages 17

to give a grown up daughter in marriage* to clear off debt and to repent for a sin .

Serve first fruits or fruit juice, if any , as they help digestion.
The Quran also gives instruction to eat fruits first. And from what they like out of fruits. Then God said : And what they like out of meat of bird. After fruit meat and sarid which is a mixture of date and curry should be served, as the Prophet said : They superiority of sarid over other fruits is like the superiority of Ayesha over other women. After that, sweets should be served.
To honour guest by meat in instructed by the .Quran while narrating the story of Abraham. To serve meat first- is a sign of honouring a guest. God said about good things of food : I sent down to you Manna' (sweet thing), and Salwa (meat) 2:57. The Prophet said : The best curry is meat.' God says : Eat out of the good things I have provided for you 2:168. Meat and sweet things appertain to good things. A certain sage said : Sweet things after food are better than many curries. It is said that green vegetables increase beauty.