وليمة العرس
A Companion of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reported him as having said: "When two invitations come together, accept that of the one whose door is nearer in neighborhood, but if one of them comes before the other, accept the invitation of the one who comes first."
عن رجل من أصحاب النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أن النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال: «إذا اجْتَمَعَ الدَّاعِيَان فَأَجِبْ أَقْرَبَهما بابًا، فإنَّ أقْربَهما بابًا أقْربُهما جِوَارًا، وإن سَبَقَ أحدُهما فَأَجِبِ الذي سَبَقَ».
شرح الحديث :
This Hadīth shows that if a man is invited by two of his neighbors and he is unable to answer both of them, like when the two banquets are held at the same time, one should answer the first invitation, even if the host is not the nearer neighbor, since he has the merit of having made the invitation before the other and because accepting his invitation became due once he made it. However, if he was invited by two neighbors at the same time, then he should answer the one nearer to him because he is a closer neighbor than the farther one. Some scholars added: if they were at an equal distance, one should answer the one who is more knowledgeable, more religious, and more righteous. Supposing that they were at an equal footing in all aspects, one should draw lots between them.