Compiled by Imam Abu Dawud as-Sijistani
حَدَّثَنَا مُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنِ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، أَوْ عَنْ أَبِي السَّلِيلِ، عَنْهُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، قَالَ : نَزَلَ بِنَا أَضْيَافٌ لَنَا قَالَ : وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَتَحَدَّثُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِاللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ : لاَ أَرْجِعَنَّ إِلَيْكَ حَتَّى تَفْرَغَ مِنْ ضِيَافَةِ هَؤُلاَءِ وَمِنْ قِرَاهُمْ فَأَتَاهُمْ بِقِرَاهُمْ فَقَالُوا : لاَ نَطْعَمُهُ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ . فَجَاءَ فَقَالَ : مَا فَعَلَ أَضْيَافُكُمْ أَفَرَغْتُمْ مِنْ قِرَاهُمْ قَالُوا : لاَ . قُلْتُ : قَدْ أَتَيْتُهُمْ بِقِرَاهُمْ فَأَبَوْا وَقَالُوا : وَاللَّهِ لاَ نَطْعَمُهُ حَتَّى يَجِيءَ، فَقَالُوا : صَدَقَ قَدْ أَتَانَا بِهِ فَأَبَيْنَا حَتَّى تَجِيءَ، قَالَ : فَمَا مَنَعَكُمْ قَالُوا : مَكَانُكَ . قَالَ : وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَطْعَمُهُ اللَّيْلَةَ، قَالَ فَقَالُوا : وَنَحْنُ وَاللَّهِ لاَ نَطْعَمُهُ حَتَّى تَطْعَمَهُ . قَالَ : مَا رَأَيْتُ فِي الشَّرِّ كَاللَّيْلَةِ قَطُّ - قَالَ - قَرِّبُوا طَعَامَكُمْ . قَالَ : فَقُرِّبَ طَعَامُهُمْ فَقَالَ : بِسْمِ اللَّهِ فَطَعِمَ وَطَعِمُوا فَأُخْبِرْتُ أَنَّهُ أَصْبَحَ فَغَدَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِالَّذِي صَنَعَ وَصَنَعُوا، قَالَ : " بَلْ أَنْتَ أَبَرُّهُمْ وَأَصْدَقُهُمْ " .
Some guests visited us, and Abu Bakr was conversing with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at night. He (Abu Bakr) said: I will not return to you until you are free from their entertainment and serving them food. So he brought them food, but they said: We shall not eat it until Abu Bakr comes (back). Abu Bakr then came and asked: What did your guest do? Are you free from their entertainment ? They said: No. I said: I brought them food, but they refused and said: We swear by Allah, we shall not take it until he comes. They said: He spoke the truth. He brought it to us, but we refused (to take it) until you come. He asked: What did prevent you ? He said: I swear by Allah, I shall not take food tonight. They said: And we also swear by Allah that we shall not take food until you take it. He said: I never saw an evil like the one tonight. He said: Bring your food near (you). He ('Abd al-Rahman) said: Their food was then brought near them. He said: In the name of Allah, and he took the food, and they also took it. I then informed him that the dawn had broken. So he went to th Prophet (ﷺ) and informed him of what he and they had done. He said: You are the most obedient and most trustful of them.