“A bed for you, a bed for your wife, a bed for the guest, and the fourth is for Satan” — What is meant by this?

The questioner : Does this mean that it is not permissible to have more than three beds?

The Shaykh : The hadith is authentic; Imam Muslim narrated it in his Sahih. The intended meaning is that a Muslim should not be extravagant in his household furnishings, nor bring into his home things he has no need for. When it says “the fourth is for Satan,” it means that it is a luxury that is not needed. However, if we suppose a man who has many guests, whose door is constantly knocked on, and who is visited not by individuals but by tens of guests, and he prepares and arranges beds, then in this case, the fourth, fifth, or tenth bed is not for Satan, nor is it of Satan’s work, nor in the path of Satan and His pleasure. The intended meaning is simply not to exceed what is needed. If you are a man who is visited by one guest when he comes, then prepare an extra bed in addition to your bed and your wife’s bed. If it is your custom to be visited by two or three guests, then prepare a bed for each of them, and this does not contradict the Shari'ah. The subject, idea, and outcome of the hadith is not to be extravagant in household possessions that their owner has no need for. That is all. Please, go ahead.