Sayyidina Abu Hurayrah (RA) reported that once the Prophet came out of his house at an hour he never came out and no one would come to meet him (at that hour).Abu Bakr (RA) came to him (suddenly) and he asked, “What is with you, O Abu Bakr?” He said, “I came out to meet Allah’s Messenger and observe his face and to offer my salutation to him.’ Hardly had any time passed when Umar (also) came, and he asked, “What is it with you, O Umar?” He said, “Hunger, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “And I too found something of that (on me).” So, they set out to the house of Abul Haytham ibn Tayyihan Ansari. He possessed a lot of palm trees and sheep, but he had no servant. They did not find him. They asked his wife “Where is your life partner?” She said, He has gone to fetch us sweet water.”Not much time gone by when he came with a water skin of sweet water. He put it down and embraced Prophet and said, “My parents be ransomed to you.” Then he went with them to his garden and spread for them a mat. He went to a palm tree and returned with a bunch of dates which he placed down. The Prophet (SAW) said to him, “Why did you not pick out (only) fresh dates for us?” He said, “O Messenger of Allah, I thought that you might choose for yourself fresh and the dried.” They ate and drank from that water. Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said, “By Him Who Has my life in His hand! You will be asked on the day of Resurrection about these blessings: the cool shade, the fresh dates and cool water.” Abul Haytham engaged himself to prepare a meal for them. The Prophet (SAW) said to him, “Do not slaughter a milk-yielding animal.” So, he slaughtered a kid and brought (the cooked food) to them. They ate. The Prophet (SAW) asked him, “Do you have a servant?” He said, “No.” He said, “When captives are brought to us, you come.” (Soon) two captives were brought to the Prophet (SAW) and there was not a third with them, and Abu Haytham also came to him. The Prophet (SAW) said to him, “Chose one of them.” He said, “O Prophet of Allah, you select for me.” The Prophet (SAW) said, “The one who is consulted is trusted. Take this one, for I have seen him offer salah. And, he instructed him to be kind to him in treatment. Abu Haytham went to his wife and conveyed to her the instruction of the Prophet. So, his wife said to him, “You will not be able to abide by the saying of the Prophet (SAW) except that you set him free.” He said, “He is free.” So, the Prophet (SAW) said, “Surely. Allah does not send a Prophet, or a khalifah (caliph) except that he has two kinds of retinue, one who enjoin that which is pious and forbids that which is evil, and the other who make him wicked. And he who is protected from evil friends has been saved, indeed.”
[Bukhari 7198, Ahmed 11342]