Munificence and
generosity is the hall-mark of the Ahlul-Bayt specially the Commander of the
Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) and Sayyida Fatima Zahra (s.a.), “The Lady of Paradise”
and “The Chief of the Women of the World.
There are numerous instances of their generosity. Appended below is one of it stated in the
Glorious Qur’an in Surah al-Hashr Ayah 9 which says: “….They give preference to
them over themselves – even concerning the things that they themselves urgently
need. Whoever controls his greed will have everlasting happiness.”
The Infallible
Panjetan, in whose honor the Ayah of
Purity (Surah al-Ahza’b Ayah 33) was revealed, was provided Heavenly food on many occasions. One
such occasion was, when once there was no food available in the house. Imam Ali
(a.s.) went out borrowed a dinar to procure some eatables. He met Meghdad, one
of his true companions, exhausted with eyes sunken in his cavities manifesting
terrible weakness. On inquiry, he told the Imam that he and his family were
without any eatables and he could not see the sight of his crying children
hence he came out of his house. Imam Ali (a.s.) gave away that borrowed dinar
to Meghdad to purchase food for his children and returned home empty-handed!
When he entered the house, he found some heavenly-being had delivered some
delicious food for Sayyida Fatima Zahra (s.a.), Imam Hasan (a.s.), Imam Husayn
(a.s.) and himself (a.s.). (Mullah Abul
Qasim Damishqi narrated by Abu Sa’eed Khudri)
It is reported by the
Companion Abdullah ibn Masood: “We were sitting in the Mosque of the
Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.), when a man amongst us stood and requested that he was
poor and hungry. The Noble Messenger
(s.a.w.a.s.) said: “O’ man, do not call yourself a poor, for there are four
things which are really poor ones, in the world:
1. The mosque in the midst of the people who
do not pray in it.
2. The Holy Qur’an in the house, the inmates
of which do not recite it.
3. The scholar in the midst of the people who
do not resort to him to get benefited by his learning.
4. The Believer (Muslim) who is a helpless
captive in the hands of the disbelievers.
Then
he (s.a.w.a.s.) turned to his companions and asked “who can take this brother of yours and feed him?” Imam Ali (a.s.)
brought the guest with him to his abode and inquired from Sayyida Fatima Zahra
(s.a.) about the food. She replied that there was very little food available
barely for one person. It was a difficult situation for Imam Ali (a.s.); if he
eats from it then it would not be sufficient for the guest and if he did not
take part it would be against the etiquette. Imam Ali (a.s.) extinguished the
lamp. In the dark the guest ate the food and Imam Ali (a.s.) at with him and
kept on moving his mouth to show as id he was also eating the food. When the
guest finished the food, the lamp was lighted and Imam Ali (a.s.) saw that the
food was still there. Imam Ali (a.s.) asked the guest why he did not eat the food;
the man replied that he had his fill! After the guest had departed, Imam Ali
(a.s.), Sayyida Fatima Zahra (s.a.), Imam Hasan (a.s.), and Imam Husayn (a.s.)
ate from the food and the quantity of food did not decrease but remained the
same as before. The food was given to the poor. This was one of the many instances of the miraculous happenings with
the “Panjetan”. When Imam Ali (a.s.) returned to Prophet’s Mosque, the Noble
Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) informed Imam Ali (a.s.) of what happened in the “house”
saying that the Arch-Angel Jibra’eel informed him of the event in all its
details and conveyed the above-mentioned Ayah.
Sources
used:
The Glorious Qur’an (English translation) by Ayatollah
Agha H.M.M.Pooya Yazdi (r.a.)
The
Glorious Qur’an (Urdu translation) by Maulana Hafiz Farman Ali (r.a.)
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