(20) باب جَوَازِ اسْتِتْبَاعِهِ غَيْرَهُ إِلَى دَارِ مَنْ يَثِقُ بِرِضَاهُ بِذَلِكَ وَيَتَحَقَّقُهُ تَحَقُّقًا تَامًّا وَاسْتِحْبَابِ الاِجْتِمَاعِ عَلَى الطَّعَامِ
Anas b. Malik reported:
Abu Talha sent me to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in order to invite him (for meal). She had prepared a meal. So I came and found Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) along with some people. He looked at me, and I felt shy and said: Accept the invitation of Abu Talha. He (the Holy Prophet) asked the people to get up. Thereupon Abu Talha said: Allah's Messenger, I have prepared something for you. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) touched (the food) and invoked blessings upon it, and then said: Let ten persons from my Companions enter (the house). He then said: Eat, and (in the meanwhile) brought out something from between his fingers for them. They then began to eat until they had their fill and then went out. He then asked ten more men (to have the meal) and they ate to their fill, and the ten persons went on getting in (and eating the food) and then getting out until none was left amongst them who had not got in and eaten to his fill. He then collected (the remaining part of the food) and it (the quantity of the food) was the same (as it had been prior to the serving of guests).
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2040 b
In-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 191
USC-MSA web (English) reference(deprecated numbering scheme): Book 23, Hadith 5059