Sayyid Jawaad A’amloi, a jurist and the author of the book Miftaah al-Karaamah, narrates:
One night as I was having my meals, someone knocked at the door. Opening the door, I saw it was the servant of Sayyid Bahr al-U’loom. He said to me: The dinner of Sayyid Bahr al-U’loom is ready and he awaits you.
I accompanied the servant to the house of Sayyid Bahr al-U’loom; as soon as I arrived in his presence, he said:Do you not fear God that you tend to be so negligent?
I said humbly: O’ Teacher! What is the matter?
He said: One of your brethren in faith, out of indigence, has only been able to provide his family dates, and that too on credit; seven days have passed without them having eaten anything except dates. Today he approached a grocer to procure something, but the grocer flatly refused causing him immense embarrassment. At the present moment he (Muhammad Najm A’amoli) and his family have gone to sleep without dinner. You eat a full dinner while you have a neighbor, who is needy and deserving!
I pleaded: I possessed no information whatsoever of his condition! Sayyid replied: And had you been aware of his state and yet not helped him, you would have been regarded as a Jew or even, an infidel; I am distressed as to why you do not investigate the state of your brethren in faith? My servant shall now carry these utensils of food; go with him to that person’s house and tell him: “I desire that tonight we have dinner together”. Then place this bag of money (120 riyals) under his carpet and do not bring back the utensils.
Sayyid Jawaad says: I proceeded to the person’s house in the company of the servant and acted as per the teacher’s instructions. The neighbour said to me: No Arab can prepare this kind of meal. Tell me! To whom does this food belong? Upon his insistence, I confessed: It belongs to Sayyid Bahr al-U’loom.
Hearing this, he was filled with great astonishment over this act of Sayyid; taking an oath, he confided: No one, save for God, has been aware of my state – not even my next-door neighbours, let alone those individuals who stay far from me. ( Pand-e-Taareekh, vol. 1, pg. 140; Kalimah-e-Tayyibah, pg. 111. )