Question: I am an introvert, and then I realized how guests are regarded in Islam, because of Allah’s mercy and their rizq (sustenance). I used to think that it was ok to ignore them or hide in a room, but then I realized it is our duty to attend to guests. Also, it is a sin to do otherwise. Did I commit kufr by calling something halal haram or vice versa?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question. It is a great thing that you have decided not to shun guests and instead to honor them for the sake of Allah. This is in accordance with the Prophetic character and usually expected across Muslim cultures.
Please see the details about honoring a guest here:
https://seekersguidance.org/articles/good-character/honoured-guests-ibrahim-shaykh-abdul-rahim-reasat/
https://seekersguidance.org/show/futuwwa-spiritual-chivalry-etiquettes-concerning-guests-shaykh-yayha-rhodus/
Disbelief
It is not disbelief or sin to avoid a guest, but rather it is bad etiquette or manners (adab). Do not be too hard on yourself, as a person usually develops his good character over time and is not born with it. So if you have come to see the benefit and good of honoring your guest, I pray that you take advantage of this knowledge and make an intention to honor your guests from now on, always.
A friend of mine from Hadramawt, Yemen, once told me about the Yemenis’ perspective on guests. “They bring blessings into the home when they come in, and they take the problems of the house out with them when they leave.“
May Allah reward you for your sincerity.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.