One day the Holy Prophet (S) was sitting with his companions, including righteous Muhajirs and Ansar. He said: I feel like eating Harira prepared with ghee and honey. Amirul Momineen (a.s.) said: I also feel like you.
Then the Holy Prophet (S) asked Abul Fazl: How do you feel? He replied: I would like to eat roasted shoulder meat of a sheep. When inquired from Abu Sharur and Abud Dawahi they also said: A lamb’s roasted meat of chest. Then the Holy Prophet (S), addressing the audience said: Who from the believers will give a feast to the Messenger of Allah (S) and his companions? Who will give them food desired by them?
When Abdullah bin Ubayy heard this, he thought of planning some mischief to kill them all, sparing the world from them. So he got up saying: O Allah’s Messenger! I am prepared to give you all the proposed feast. I have ample wheat and ghee for making Harira and also have a lamb for roasting. The Holy Prophet (S) said: All right, we agree. So the hypocrite went to his house, prepared the said eatables and mixed poison in them. Returning to the audience, Abdullah bin Ubayy said: Please come alone as the food is ready.
The Holy Prophet (S) asked: Whom should I bring with me? The hypocrite replied: You may come with Ali, Salman, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Ammar (r.a.). The Holy Prophet (S) then asked: Should Abushuroor, Abud Dawahi, Abul Malahi and Abu Nakat not come? Abdullah bin Ubayy said: No please. The reason for excepting was that they were partners in his hypocrisy.
The Holy Prophet (S) said: I will not eat unless all of them and the Helpers and the Ansars are also invited. Abdullah said: O Prophet! The food is not that much in quantity. It can be served only to a few persons. The Holy Prophet (S) said: O Abdullah! Almighty Allah has sent down a plate of food containing some loaves and some fish. Yet he gave such a bounty in it that 4700 persons ate and became fully gratified therefrom. Then Abdullah said: If it is so, you may bring all of them.
The Holy Prophet (S) then called out: O Muhajireen and Ansar! Come along with me for a feast at the house of Abdullah bin Ubayy. Seven to eight thousand persons proceeded along with the Prophet. Then Abdullah told his companions: What should be our plan now? We wanted to kill only Muhammad and few of his close associates. We never wanted to kill all these people who are here. We understand that when Muhammad will be no more, all his companions will get separated from one another; not even two will agree on a point (so what is the use of killing them all?).
Then he asked his companions take up arms and be ready for a fight so that when Muhammad dies of poison and when his companions think of taking revenge, they may be able to fight them. Finally, when all the invitees entered the compound of Abdullah, he asked the Holy Prophet (S) and his close friends Ali, Salman, Miqdad and Ammar (r.a.) to sit in a small room. He asked all others to sit in the garden and in other parts of his house. Some may wait at the door.
They may take the place of the first group when they finish eating. But the Holy Prophet (S) said: The Almighty, Who can give bounty in a little food can also widen this house amply. Then the Holy Prophet (S) called out: O Ali, Salman, Miqdad, Abu Dharr, Ansar, Muhajireen all of you may enter this house. So all entered and made a circle around the Holy Prophet (S) (like Hajis who circle the holy Kaaba). Wonderfully all of them accommodated in that house comfortably and there still was room for one person between all seated there.
When Abdullah came in, he was extremely astonished to observe such vastness in his room. Then the Holy Prophet (S) said: Bring to us whatever you have prepared for this feast. Then he placed the eatables in front of the Prophet and said: O Allah’s Messenger! You may take food first, then may Ali and thereafter your nearest companions, one by one.
The Holy Prophet (S) replied: Never mind that. Then the Holy Prophet (S) put his holy hand on the plate, likewise did Ali (a.s.). Seeing this, Abdullah asked: Is it not better that you may, O Ali, eat along with your friends and allow the Holy Prophet (S) to take his food separately?! Hearing this, the Holy Prophet (S) said: O Abdullah! Compared with you, Ali (a.s.) is more knowledgeable about Allah and His Messenger.
Allah has never kept distance between me and Ali. He created me and him with same Noor. He then brought our Noor before the residents of the earth and heavens, and angels, Jinns and wind and took a word of promise from them all that all of them will befriend our friends and oppose our opponents. The intention of myself and of Ali is always the same; my aim is his aim. Whatever he likes, I also wish for that.
His pleasure pleases me and his sorrow makes me sorrowful. Therefore, O Abdullah, Ali will eat with me, because he is more well versed with me than you are. Abdullah replied: All right. Then he sent a word to Jadd bin Qays and Mazat saying: We wanted to kill one, but now they are two. Now both of them will die and we will get rid of them. So this is the hour of their destruction and of our happiness, because had Ali remained alive, he would have surely fought against us.
Abdullah had gathered his co-hypocrites around his house so that when the Holy Prophet (S) dies of poison, they may attack and finish his companions. Finally the Prophet and Ali (a.s.) ate that Harira fully. Then the desired two things were put before those who had asked for side and chest meat of a lamb and they also got satisfied.
All the time Abdullah kept looking at them thinking that they were about to die. But the eaters were hale, healthy and joyful. Thereafter the Holy Prophet (S) said: O Abdullah! Bring that roasted lamb. When it was brought, the Holy Prophet (S) said: Keep this roasted lamb in the centre of this house. Abdullah exclaimed: O Prophet! How will the hands of the people reach this meat?! The Holy Prophet (S) told him: The Almighty Who widened this house so much, will also lengthen the hands of the eaters.
And so it happened and the hands of the guests became long enough to reach that mutton and they ate it. Allah made that lamb enough to gratify so many people. Only bone remained. When all had eaten, the Holy Prophet (S) covered those bones with his handkerchief and asked Ali (a.s.): Just pour the Harira on this and so he did. All took that also to their gratification.
Then the guests said: O Allah’s Messenger! We would like to have milk. The Holy Prophet (S) said: The rank of your Prophet, compared to that of His Eminence, Isa (a.s.), is far more higher. Allah had enlivened dead ones for the sake of Isa (a.s.). He will do so also for your prophet. Then the Holy Prophet (S) spread his handkerchief over those bones and recited a supplication, saying: O Allah! Just as You provided bounty in this animal please recreate the same bounty again and feed us with its milk.
Next moment, by the Command of the Almighty, flesh covered those bones and it made movement and the animal got up and its udders filled up with milk. The Holy Prophet (S) then called out for utensils and got them filled with a lot of milk and gave it to all in ample quantity and it satisfied them all. Thereafter he also said: Had I no fear of my community becoming animal-worshipper like the people of Bani Israel, who had begun to worship a calf, I would have allowed this goat to live and to graze at it’s will.
Then he again made a supplication, requesting Almighty Allah to turn that animal into bones and it so happened at once. Then the Holy Prophet (S) returned therefrom along with his companions. The companions then began to discuss the amazing events of the small house becoming big and the little food becoming more and of the dispelling of the effect of poison. The Holy Prophet (S) told them: These happenings make me think of the bounties of various gardens of Paradise, which will be made more bountiful for our Shias.
He said that some Shias are so noble that the Almighty will grant them high ranks, palaces and fairies and other rewards of niceties that, in comparison, all the bounties of this world together would appear like only one grain of sand in an endless desert. It also so happens, he added, that often a noble believer gets entitled to such a rank in Paradise. Then he (in the world) observes a needy believer brother and behaves kindly with him, honors him, helps him and does not leave him to dishonor himself by approaching someone for help.
At that moment, Lord Almighty Allah makes his residence in Paradise much more spacious just as you saw the broadening of this narrow house and the increase in this food. At such times, angels in charge of those places, request the Almighty saying: O Lord! We are not strong enough to serve here, so please appoint some more angels to help us in carrying out Your Commands. Almighty Allah responds: O angels! I do not wish to load you beyond your ability.
Just tell Me how much more help you need? They urge: O Lord! A thousand fold more than our number may kindly be appointed. Yet there are also some such noble believers that for rewarding them in heavens, the concerned angels request for a million times more helpers. The reward of some is even greater. So Allah grants as much as is needed.
Whenever any believer behaves more nicely with his faithful brother, Lord Almighty multiplies the number of his heavenly helpers. Thereafter the Holy Prophet (S) said: Whenever I remember the event of eating that poisoned food and of our being patient and of Allah’s removing that calamity from us and of granting bounty in our needed things, I also remember the patience of our Shias during dissimulation. Almighty Allah will grant great reward in Paradise due to their patience.
So much so, that others will envy them in the heaven. Allah will address them saying: Congratulations for these bountiful luxuries which have been granted to you as reward of the patience you observed when you were being oppressed by unjust people in the world; when you were observing dissimulation against the enemies of religion.