A father and son were once the guests of Imam Ali (pbuh).
Imam made them comfortable and sat opposite them talking
to them. It was time for the meal to be served.
After food had been served and eaten, Imam’s servant
Qambar brought a basin and a jug of water for the guests to
wash their hands.
Imam took the jug himself and asked the father to extend his
hands so he could pour the water.
The guest said:
“How can it be that my Imam serves me! It should be the
other way?”
Imam Ali (pbuh) replied:
“Here is your brother in Islam, eager to serve his brother and
earn the pleasure of Allah. Why do you prevent it?”
The guest extended his hands.
Imam told him:
“Wash your hands thoroughly. Do not hurry thinking that I
should be free of this duty quickly.”
When it was the son’s turn to wash his hands Imam told his
son Muhammad Hanafiyya to hold the jug and wash the son’s
hands.
Imam then told him:
“I washed your fathers’ hands. My son washed your hands. If
your father had not been my guest today, I would have
washed your hands myself. But Allah loves to see that when a
father and son are present in a place, the father enjoys a
privilege and a priority.”
The Prophet (pbuh) has also said:
“A guest is a guide who leads one to the path to Janna.”
Excellent Stories Vol 1