the house, went himself to slaughter a calf, had it cooked, and quickly brought it and placed it before the guests.^[1]

This was the matchless hospitality of Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام. From this event, scholars have identified several etiquettes of hosting guests.

The First Etiquette: Show Hospitality to Everyone

Scholars state that one etiquette shown here is that Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm  عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام  did not even ask the angels for their names. From this, we learn that to display hospitality, it is not necessary for the guest to be someone we already know. If a stranger comes to our home, we should show them hospitality as well.^[2]

In today’s world, because situations are different, there may be security concerns. In that regard, we should be careful. However, it should be a part of our character that when someone comes to meet us—whether they are a relative, a friend, or a stranger—we must meet them in a good way, show excellent character, and host them well.

The Second Etiquette: Be Quick in Hosting

The second etiquette of hospitality we learn from this is that when a guest arrives at our home, we should be quick in hosting them. When the angels came as guests in human form to the home of Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام, he acted quickly. He did not make the guests wait; instead, he immediately slaughtered a calf, had it cooked, and presented it to the guests.

Therefore, we should also host a guest as soon as they arrive. We should offer them water, have tea made, or prepare food. Depending on the situation, the guest, and the weather, we should start hosting them as quickly as possible.