affairs of my life!” The Imam said,
“You have been fair in asking for
your needs. Whenever you left
Mecca for Medina, ask for my
house.” The Arab stayed in Mecca for
a week and then came to Medina
looking for Amir al-Mu’minin, shouting,
“Who will lead me to the house of
the Leader of the believers?” Husayn
ibn `Ali who was then a child said, “I
will lead you to his house. I am his
son.” The Arab asked, “Who is your
father?” Husayn said, “Amir alMu’minin, `Ali ibn Abi-Talib is my
father.” He asked, “Who is your
mother?” Husayn said, “Fatimah alZahra’, the doyenne of the women
of the world is my mother.” He
asked, “Who is your grandfather?”
Husayn said, “Allah’s Messenger,
Muhammad ibn `Abdullah ibn `Abd
al-Muttalib is my grandfather.” He
asked, “Who is your grandmother?”
Husayn said: “Khadijah daughter of
Khuwaylid is my grandmother.” He
asked, “Who is your brother?”
Husayn said, “Abu-Muhammad,
Hasan ibn `Ali, is my brother.” the
Bedouin said, “You have got the
whole world! Go to Amir alMu’minin and tell him that the
Bedouin whose needs you had
guaranteed to meet in Mecca is
beside your house.” Husayn entered
the house saying, “O father! The
Bedouin whose needs you have
guaranteed to meet is at the door.”
Addressing Fatimah, Imam `Ali said,
“Is there any food at home for this
Bedouin?” Fatimah said, “No.”
Hearing this, Imam `Ali put on his
clothes and went outside home saying,
“Call Abu-`Abdullah, Salman the
Persian.” When Salman came, the
Imam said, “O Abu-`Abdullah! Put to
sale the orchard whose trees the
Holy Prophet planted!” Salman too
sold the orchard for twelve thousand
Dirhams. Imam `Ali took the money
and called for the Bedouin. Four
thousand Dirhams were given to him to
meet his needs and forty Dirhams for
his expenses. The news spread among
the needy in Medina. They too came to
Imam `Ali. A man from the Ansar went
to Fatimah’s house and informed her of
the event. Fatimah said, “May Allah
reward you for this news.” `Ali was
sitting there giving away handfuls
of Dirhams to the needy so much so
that there was nothing left for him.”
In the Battle of the Camel, the soldiers
who fought along with him were twelve
thousand in number. When the fighting
came to an end with the defeat of the
enemies, Amir al-Mu’minin had the
public fund divided with each person
having five hundred Dirhams as a share.
`Ali took the same amount of dirham
for himself. Addressing the public fund,
he said,
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“Deceive anyone but me.”
After the division of the public fund, a
man came about saying, “O Amir al
Mu’minin! My heart was with you
though I could no take part in the
battle. Do me a favor by giving
something to me.” The Imam gave
his share to him, going back home
empty-handed.”
Qanbar, Imam `Ali’s servant, asked his
master to go to a room where he had
hidden bags full of gold and silver
vessels. The Imam asked, “What are
these?” Qanbar said, “You always
divide every thing among people
but I have reserved all these for
you.” Imam `Ali asked, “Would you
like to bring fire to my house?”
Being angry, he drew his sword and
broke those vessels into pieces ordering
him to divide them among people. He
further said, “O Gold and silver!
Deceive anyone but me.”
An indigent man came to Imam `Ali
saying, “I am suffering from three
diseases: body, poverty, and
ignorance.” The Imam said, “O Arab
brother! You should see a physician
for your physical disease, a wise
man for ignorance and a generous
person for poverty.” The Arab said,
“You are a physician, a wise man,
and a generous man at the same
time.” Amir al-Mu’minin ordered to
give three thousand Dirhams from the
public fund, saying, “Spend one
thousand Dirhams on your