Charity

Muhammad ibn `Ali ibn Ibrahim has reported: Earning a livelihood had become hard for us and indigence had overwhelmed us. My father told me to take him to the presence of Imam Hasan `Askari for he had been described as a generous man. I said to my father, “Do you know him personally?” He said, “I do not know him nor have I seen him.” On the way, my father said, “How good it will be if he orders five hundred Dirhams to be given to us, two hundred for clothes, two hundred for flour and one hundred for living expenditures.” I said to myself, “I wish he would give me three hundred Dirhams so that I would buy a horse for one hundred Dirhams, I would spend one hundred for living costs and I would buy clothes for one hundred and then I would go to the region of Jabal.” When we reached the door of the house of Imam, his slave came towards us saying, “`Ali ibn Ibrahim and his son Muhammad may enter.” When we entered the room and saluted him, the Imam said to my father, “What kept you from coming to visit us?” My father said, “My master! I was ashamed of seeing you in this position.” When we came out of the house, the Imam’s servant gave him a purse saying, “This is five hundred Dirhams, two hundred Dirhams for clothes, two hundred Dirhams for flour and one hundred Dirhams for living expenditures.” He gave me a purse to me too, saying, “This is three hundred Dirhams, one hundred Dirhams for buying a horse, one hundred Dirhams for clothes, and one hundred for living costs. Don’t go to Jabal rather go to Surrah in Iraq.” ( Al-Kafi: 506/1, H 3. ) Reference: Ahlalbayt TheCelestial Beings On The Earth