[2580] He read their refraining from eating his food as an ill sign of malicious intent as the custom, a kind of chivalric code, was in those societies to distance themselves from ties, which could be as easily established by, for instance, accepting someone’s invitation or eating his food, that could see them morally indebted to the person concerned. If one turned down a good gesture it meant that one did not want peace and/or that one was ungrateful to a benefactor (cf. Ibn ʿĀshur).