Serving the Guest: A Sufi Cookbook
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The prophet Abraham (peace and blessings upon him) is the symbol of generosity and hospitality. He never ate unless there was a guest at his table. At one time, a whole month went by and no one came to his house. Nobody shared his food, so he hardly ate for the whole month. Finally he prayed to God and he said, "Oh, God, You have given me this wonderful habit of not eating without sharing my food with someone else. I haven't eaten for a whole month. I wonder if there are other people like me."

God told him, "Go and travel in the world and see if there are others like you." So Abraham began to travel. Finally he found someone who begged him to accept his hospitality, saying, "Look, three months I haven't eaten because I haven't had somebody at my table." Although Abraham had not eaten for one month, here was somebody who had not eaten for three months because nobody had come to his house as a guest.

Abraham happily accepted the invitation of this wonderful man. After dinner, it was Abraham's custom to pray. He said that he would include his host in his prayers and asked the man to pray for him. His host replied that he had given up making such prayers. He had prayed for something for many years, and since God did not choose to answer his prayer, he felt he was not worthy to make such prayers. Abraham asked, "What was your prayer?" His host replied, "I have heard that there is a great prophet here on earth, a special friend of God, by the name of Abraham. For years I prayed to meet him. But my wish was not granted. My mouth cannot be worthy to make such prayers to our Lord. You pray instead."

from Serving the Guest: A Sufi Cookbook
Copyright © 1999, 2000 by Kathleen Seidel
Sources of previously published material by other authors used by permission, and print sources for images, may be found at http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook.