Anecdote of the Ansar preferring others over themselves

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ, so he sent to his wives, and they said, “We have nothing with us but water.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Who will take this man in or host him?” A man from the Ansar (it is said he was Abu Talhah) said, “I will.” So he went with him to his wife and said, “Honor the guest of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” She said, “We have nothing except food for the children.” He said, “Prepare your food, fix your lamp, and put your children to sleep if they ask for supper.” So she prepared her food, fixed her lamp, and put her children to sleep. Then she got up as if to fix her lamp and put it out, and the two of them made him think they were eating, while they spent the night hungry.

When morning came, he went early to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he ﷺ said, “Allah has laughed, or marveled, at what you two did.” And Allah revealed: “And they give ˹others˺ preference over themselves, even though they are in need; and whoever is protected from the greed of his soul, those are the successful.” (Hashr 59:9)

أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ، فَبَعَثَ إِلَى نِسَائِهِ، فَقُلْنَ: مَا مَعَنَا إِلَّا الْمَاءُ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «مَنْ يَضُمُّ أَوْ يُضِيفُ هَذَا؟». فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ [يعني أبو طلحة]: أَنَا. فَانْطَلَقَ بِهِ إِلَى امْرَأَتِهِ، فَقَالَ: أَكْرِمِي ضَيْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. فَقَالَتْ: مَا عِنْدَنَا إِلَّا قُوتٌ لِلصِّبْيَانِ. فَقَالَ: هَيِّئِي طَعَامَكِ، وَأَصْلِحِي سِرَاجَكِ، وَنَوِّمِي صِبْيَانَكِ إِذَا أَرَادُوا عَشَاءً. فَهَيَّأَتْ طَعَامَهَا، وَأَصْلَحَتْ سِرَاجَهَا، وَنَوَّمَتْ صِبْيَانَهَا، ثُمَّ قَامَتْ كَأَنَّهَا تُصْلِحُ سِرَاجَهَا فَأَطْفَأَتْهُ، وَجَعَلَا يُرِيَانِهِ أَنَّهُمَا يَأْكُلَانِ، وَبَاتَا طَاوِيَيْنِ.

فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ، غَدَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَقَالَ ﷺ: «لَقَدْ ضَحِكَ اللَّهُ أَوْ عَجِبَ مِنْ فَعَالِكُمَا»، وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ: ﴿ وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ، وَمَنْ يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴾.