370. Rabi‘ al-Abrār, narrating from Abu Tufayl who said: “I saw ‘Ali (a.s.) calling the orphans and making them eat honey to the extent that one of his companions said: “I wish I was an orphan.”¹

371. al-Manāqib, narrating from Ibn Shahr Ashub who said: “‘Ali (a.s.) saw a woman who was carrying a water-skin full of water on her shoulder, so he took the water-skin from her and took it to her house. He then asked her about their life [She did not know who he was].
The woman said: “‘Ali ibn Abu Tālib sent my husband to one of the borders and he was killed and I was left with his orphans now I have nothing, so I am forced to work as a servant for people.”
‘Ali (a.s.) returned and slept uneasily that night, and when he woke up in the morning, he carried a basket of food. A person said to him: “Let me carry it for you!” He said: “Who will carry my burden for me on the Judgment Day?”
Then he went to the woman’s house and knocked on the door. The woman said: “Who is it?”
He (a.s.) said: “I am the same servant who carried your water- skin yesterday. Open the door as I have brought some things for the children.”
The woman said: “May Allah be pleased with you and may He judge between me and ‘Ali ibn Abu Tālib.”
Then ‘Ali (a.s.) entered the house and said: “I would indeed like to obtain reward, so would you knead and bake bread, or would you entertain the children so that I could bake the bread?”
The woman said: “I am better and more capable in baking bread, so you stay with the children and entertain them until I finish baking bread.”
The woman took the flour and kneaded it while ‘Ali (a.s.) picked up the meat and cooked it, and in the meantime, he made morsels from dates, meat, and other food stuffs and fed it to the children. Whenever each of the children ate something, he would say to them: “My dear child! Forgive ‘Ali ibn Abu Tālib for what he has done to you!”
When the woman kneaded the flour, she said: “O servant of Allah! Kindle the oven!”
‘Ali (a.s.) hastened to kindle the oven, and when he lit it and the heat struck his face, he ceaselessly said: “O ‘Ali! Taste this! This is indeed the retribution of he who neglects widows and orphans.”
Another woman who knew ‘Ali (a.s.) came and saw him and she said to the mother: “Woe unto you! This is the Commander of the Faithful!”
The woman, confused, came to him and said: “O Commander of the Faithful! Shame on me!”
‘Ali (a.s.) said: “O servant of Allah! It is I indeed who should be ashamed for neglecting your affairs and needs.”²

370.ربيع الأبرار عن أبي الطفيل: رَأَيتُ عَلِيّاً علیه السلام يَدعُو اليَتامى فَيُطعِمُهُمُ العَسَلَ، حَتّى قالَ بَعضُ أصحابِهِ: لَودِدتُ أنّي كُنتُ يَتيما.¹

371.المناقب لابن شهر آشوب: نَظَرَ عَلِيٌّ إلَى امرَأَةٍ عَلى كَتِفِها قِربَةُ ماءٍ، فَأَخَذَ مِنهَا القِربَةَ فَحَمَلَها إلى مَوضِعِها، وسَأَلَها عَن حالِها، فَقالَت: بَعثَ عَلِيُّ بنُ أبي طالِبٍ صاحِبي إلى بَعضِ الثُّغورِ فَقُتِلَ، وتَرَكَ عَلَيَّ صِبياناً يَتامى، ولَيسَ عِندي شَيءٌ، فَقَد ألجَأَتنِي الضَّرورَةُ إلى خِدمَةِ النّاسِ.
فَانصَرَفَ وباتَ لَيلَتَهُ قَلِقاً. فَلَمّا أصبَحَ حَمَلَ زِنبيلاً فيه طَعامٌ، فَقالَ بَعضُهُم: أعطِني أحمِلُهُ عَنكَ، فَقالَ: مَن يَحمِلُ وِزري عَنّي يَومَ القِيامَةِ ؟! فَأَتى وقَرَعَ البابَ، فَقالَت: مَن هذا ؟
قالَ: أنا ذلِكَ العَبدُ الَّذي حَمَلَ مَعكِ القِربَةَ، فَافتَحي فَإِنَّ مَعي شَيئاً لِلصِّبيانِ.
فَقالَت: رَضِيَ الله‏ُ عَنكَ وحَكَمَ بَيني وبينَ عَلِيِّ بنِ أبي طالِبٍ !
فَدَخَلَ وقالَ: إنّي أحبَبتُ اكتِسابَ الثَّوابِ، فَاختاري بَينَ أن تَعجِنينَ² وتَخبِزينَ، وبَينَ أن تُعَلِّلينَ³ الصِّبيانَ لأَِخبِزَ أنا.
فَقالَت: أنا بِالخَبزِ أبصَرُ وعَلَيهِ أقدَرُ، ولكِن شَأنَكَ وَالصِّبيانَ فَعَلِّلهُم حَتّى أَفرُغَ مِنَ الخَبزِ.
فَعَمَدَت إلَى الدَّقيقِ فَعَجَنَتهُ، وعَمَدَ عَلِيٌّ علیه السلام إلَى اللَّحمِ فَطَبَخَهُ، وجَعَلَ يُلقِمُ الصِّبيانَ مِن اللَّحمِ وَالتَّمرِ وغَيرِهِ، فَكُلَّما ناوَلَ الصِّبيانَ مِن ذلِكَ شَيئاً قالَ لَهُ: يا بُنَيَّ، اجعَل عَلِيَّ بنَ أبي طالِبٍ في حِلٍّ مِمّا مَرَّ في أمرِكَ.
فَلَمَّا اختَمَرَ العَجينُ قالَت: يا عَبدَ الله‏ِِ، سَجِّرِ التَّنّورَ⁴ . فَبادَرَ لِسَجرِهِ، فَلَمّا أشعَلَهُ ولَفَحَ في وَجهِهِ جَعَلَ يَقولُ: ذُق يا عَلِيُّ ! هذا جَزاءُ مَن ضَيَّعَ الأَرامِلَ وَاليَتامى.
فَرَأتهُ امرَأةٌ تَعرِفُهُ، فَقالَت: وَيحَكِ ! هذا أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ. قالَ: فَبادَرَتِ المَرأةُ وهِيَ تَقولُ: وا حَيايَ مِنكَ يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ !
فَقالَ: بَل وا حَيايَ مِنكِ يا أمَةَ اللهِ‏ِ فيما قَصَّرتُ في أمرِكِ !⁵