One day, Imam Ali [a] went to the market. He sat with Maytham. After a while, Maytham wanted to go to buy something. He asked the Imam’s permission and went away.
The Imam stayed behind to sell dates. In the meantime, a man came to buy some dates worth four dirhams. The man took the dates and went away.
Maytham came back. He was astonished to see the dirhams because they were false. The Imam smiled and said:
The owner of the dirhams will come back.
Again Maytham became astonished. He wondered:
The man bought the dates by false dirhams!
Why will he come back?
After an hour, the owner of the dirhams came back. He said angrily:
I don’t want these dates! They are bitter! Why are they bitter?
The Imam said:
Because your dirhams are false!
The man was full of astonishment. He took the dirhams and went away.