The Most Pious Man

Shoaib Ansari and Haroun Ibne Kharejah have reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):  “Prophet Moses (AS) used to watch the deeds of men.  Once he came to a man of devotion.  When night fell, the man shook a tree near him.  He found that there were two pomegranades on it so he said to Moses (AS): O servant of God! Who are you?  You must be pious man, for I have been here for some time and saw no more than one promegranate on this tree.  Were you not a pious man, I could not find these two pomegranates.  Moses (AS) said: I am a man of the territory of Moosa Ibne Imran.  When morning came, Moses (AS) asked that man: Do you know anyone more pious than yourself?  He said: Yes.  Such and such person.   Moses (AS) set out to see that man.  When he found the man, he realized that he was more pious than the former one.  When night fell, two loaves of bread and water were bought for him.  The man said: O servant of God! Who are you?  You must be a pious servant, for I have been here for some time but they did not bring me but a loaf of bread. Were you not a pious man, they would not bring two loaves of bread for me.  Who are you?  Moses (AS) said: I am a man of territory of Moosa Ibne Imran.  Then Moses (AS) asked the man: Do you know anyone more pious than yourself?  He said: Yes, such and such person.   Moses (AS) found that man but he was not a man of much devotion, rather he was a reciter of “Zekr”.  He performed his supply of grain and realized that it had became double.  The man said: O servant of God! Who are you?  You must be a pious man, for I have been here for sometime and my supply of grain was a certain amount but it has been doubled tonight.  Who are you?  Moses (AS) said: I am a man of the territory of Moosa Ibne Imran.  That man gave away one third of that grain as alms, gave another third to his master, and bought with the last third of it food which he shared with Moses.  Seeing this, Moses smiled.   The man said: What is your smiling for?  Moses said: The prophet of Bani Israel sent me to such and such person.  I found him as the most devoted one.  He sent me to another person.  I found him as the most devoted one.  He sent me to another person.  I found that he was more devoted than the former one.  The second one sent me to you thinking that you are more devoted than him but I don’t see any similarity between you and them.  The man said: I am a slave but I remember God frequently.  Don’t you see that I perform my prayer at its proper time?  If I linger my prayer I will do harm to both my master and my work.  Are you returning to your homeland?  Moses said: Yes.   At this time a piece of cloud passed over them.  The doorkeeper said: O cloud! Come down here.  The cloud came down.  He said: Where are you going?  It said: To such and such territory. He said: Go away.  Then another piece of cloud appeared.  He said to it: O cloud! Come down.  The cloud came down.  He said: Where are you going?  The cloud said: To such and such territory.  He said: Go away.  Then another piece of cloud appeared.  He said: O cloud! Come down.  The cloud came down.  He said: O cloud! Where are you going?  It said: To the territory of Moosa Ibne Imran. He said: Take this man gently and put him down in homeland,  He said: O Lord! What has this man done that he has reached such a position?  God said: This servant of Mine was patient in tribulations, was content with My will, and thanked for the blessings I have given him.” Reference : Oddatud Daee