199. al-Tabaqāt al-Kubra – narrating from Jarmuz: “I saw Ali (a.s.) leaving his seat of reign and he had two pieces of cheap clothing on; a loincloth covering down to the middle of his foreleg and a robe which was rolled up close to the lower part of the loincloth. He was holding a whip and walking in the markets enjoining the marketers to be wary of God and make fair deals. He would say: “Be loyal in the measure and balance.” And: “Do not blow in the meat.”¹

200. Makārim al-Akhlāq – narrating from `Abdullah ibn `Abbās: “When he [Ibn `Abbās] returned from Basra and entered Kufa carrying money, he saw the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) standing in the market and shouting: “O People! From now on whomever I see selling hagfish, the fish caught dead [floating] and eels, I will punish them with this whip.” The whip he had was called ‘Sabtiyya’.”
Ibn `Abbās says, “I greeted him and he returned the greeting and then said, ‘O Ibn `Abbās! What happened to the money?’”
“I said, “Here it is, O Commander of the faithful!” I gave it to him and he brought me near to him and welcomed me.”
After that, a herald came to him carrying his sword, announcing the selling of it for seven dirhams and then he said: “If I had a share in the Muslims’ public treasury as little as the price of an Arāk tooth brush, I would not sell the sword.”
He sold the sword and bought himself a shirt for four dirhams, gave two dirhams as charity and treated me as a guest for three days with the remaining one dirham.”²

201. Fadā'il al-Sahāba – narrating from Abu Matar al-Basri who said: “I saw Ali (a.s.) going towards the date sellers. A female slave was crying near a date seller. He [Ali] asked her: “What has happened to you?”
The female slave said: “He sold me some dates for one dirham, but my master returned them and he [the date seller] is not refunding the money.”
Ali (a.s.) said: “O owner of the dates! Take your dates back and refund her money as she is only a slave and she is not in authority.”
The date seller pushed Ali (a.s.) back. The Muslims said to him: “Do you know whom you pushed back?” He said: “No I do not.” They said: “It is the Commander of the Faithful!” At this time, he took back the dates and refunded her the dirhams.
He then said to Ali (a.s.): “I would like you to be pleased with me.”
Ali (a.s.) said, “I will be pleased with you only when you fully observe the rights of people.”³

199. الطبقات الكبرى عن جُرموز: رَأَيتُ عَلِيّاً وهُوَ يَخرُجُ مِنَ القَصرِ وعَلَيهِ قِطرِيَّتانِ: إزارٌ إلى نِصفِ السّاقِ، ورِداءٌ مُشَمَّرٌ قَريبٌ مِنهُ، ومَعَهُ دِرَّةٌ لَهُ يَمشي بِها فِي الأَسواقِ، ويَأمُرُهُم بِتَقوَى اللهِ، وحُسنِ البَيعِ، ويَقولُ: أوفُوا الكَيلَ وَالميزانَ، وَيقولُ: لا تَنفَخُوا اللَّحمُ.¹

200. مكارم الأخلاق عن عبد الله بن عبّاس: لَمَّا رَجَعَ مِنَ البَصرَةِ وحَمَلَ المالَ ودَخَلَ الكوفَةَ وَجَدَ أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ علیه السلام قائِماً فِي السّوقِ، وهُوَ يُنادي بِنَفسِهِ: مَعاشِرَ النّاسِ، مَن أصَبناهُ بَعدَ يَومِنا هذا يَبيعُ الجِرِّيَّ وَالطّافِيَ وَالمارماهي عَلَوناهُ بِدِرَّتِنا هذِهِ ـ وكانَ يُقالُ لِدِرَّتِهِ: السِّبِتيَّةُ ـ .
قالَ ابنُ عَبّاس: فَسَلَّمتُ عَلَيهِ، فَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ السَّلامَ، ثُمَّ قالَ: يَابنَ عَبّاسٍ، ما فَعَلَ المالُ؟ فَقُلتُ: ها هُوَ يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ، وحَمَلتُهُ إلَيهِ، فَقَرَّبَني، ورَحَّبَ بي.
ثُمَّ أتاهُ مُنادٍ ومَعَهُ سَيفُهُ يُنادي عَلَيهِ بِسَبعَةِ دَراهِمَ، فَقالَ: لَو كانَ لي في بَيتِ مالِ المُسلِمينَ ثَمَنُ سِواكِ أراكٍ ما بِعتُهُ، فَباعَهُ، وَاشتَرى قَميصاً بِأَربَعَةِ دَراهِمَ لَهُ، وتَصَدَّقَ بِدِرهَمَينِ، وأضافَني بِدِرهَمٍ ثَلاثَةَ أيّامٍ.²

201. فضائل الصحابة لابن حنبل عن أبي مَطَر البصري : أنَّهُ شَهِدَ عَلِيّاً أتى أصحابَ التَّمرِ وجارِيَةٌ تَبكي عِندَ التَّمّارِ، فَقالَ: ما شَأنُكِ؟ قالَت: باعَني تَمراً بِدِرهَمٍ، فَرَدَّهُ مَولايَ، فَأَبى أن يَقبَلَهُ.
قالَ: يا صاحِبَ التَّمرِ، خُذ تَمرَكَ، وأعطِها دِرهَمَها؛ فَإنّها خادِمٌ، ولَيسَ لَها أمرٌ. فَدَفَعَ عَلِيّاً، فَقالَ لَهُ المُسلِمونَ: تَدري مَن دَفَعتَ؟!! قالَ: لا. قالوا: اميرَ المُؤمِنينَ!!فَصَبَّ تَمرَها، وأعطاها دِرهَمَها.
قالَ: اُحِبُّ أن تَرضى عَنّي! قالَ: ما أرضاني عَنكَ إذا أوفَيتَ النّاسَ حُقوقَهُم.³