202. Makārim al-Akhlāq – narrating from Mukhtār al-Tammār: “I used to spend the nights in the mosques and stay in the open square and buy bread from a grocer (he was from Basra). One day, I went out and all of a sudden a man called upon me and said: ‘Hold up your gown; it will stay cleaner this way and it will be closer to God-fearing.”
I asked who he was and I was told that he was Ali ibn Abi Tālib (a.s.).
I went after him while he was going towards the camels market. When he got there, he stopped and said: “O Tradesmen! Beware of false swearing, as it would ruin the goods and bring the blessings to naught.”
He then continued moving till he reached the date sellers. At this time, a female slave was crying before a date seller.
He asked her, “What happened to you?”
She answered, “I am a slavegirl. My people have sent me to buy one dirham of dates for them. When I took the dates to them, they did not like it, so I returned them, but this man refuses to take them back.”
He said, “O Man! Take the dates back and refund her money!”
He [the salesman] refused to do so. He was told: “This [man] is Ali ibn Abi Tālib (a.s.).” Then he took back the dates and refunded her the money and said: “O Commander of the Faithful! I did not recognize you. Forgive me.”
He said, “O tradesmen! Be wary of God and make your dealings fairly. May God forgive you and us.”
He then left that place and arrived in the canvas market and encountered a handsome man. He said: “O Man! Do you have two garments for five dirhams?”
The man rose to his feet and said, “O Commander of the Faithful! I have what you want.” Since the shop owner knew it was the Imām, he left him and went to another young person and said: “O Young man! Do you have two garments for five dirhams?”
He said: “Yes I do.” He bought the two garments; one of them was for three dirhams and the other was for two. He said: “O Qanbar! You take the garment that is for three dirhams.”
Qanbar said: “You deserve it more; you go on the pulpit and give sermons to people.”
He said: “And you are young and have youthful wishes, and I feel shy of myself before God to look superior to you. I have heard the messenger of God (s.a.w.) say: “Clothe your servants from what you clothe yourselves and feed them from what you feed yourselves.”
When he put on the garment he noticed that the sleeves were longer than his hands. He said: “Cut off the extra.” And the young man did so. Then he said: “Come forward and let me stitch it.”
Ali (a.s.) replied: “Leave it as it is, as things will pass sooner than that [life shall come to an end soon].”¹

202. مكارم الأخلاق عن مُختار التمّار: كُنتُ أبيتُ في مَسجِدِ الكوفَةِ، وأنزِلُ في الرَّحبَةِ، وآكُلُ الخُبزَ مِنَ البَقّالِ ـ وكانَ مِن أهلِ البَصرَةِ ـ. فَخَرَجتُ ذاتَ يَومٍ، فَإِذا رَجُلٌ يُصَوِّتُ بي: اِرفَع إزارَكَ؛ فَإِنَّهُ أنقى لِثَوبِكَ، وأتقى لِرَبِّكَ. فَقُلتُ: مَن هذا؟فَقيلَ: عَلِيُّ بنُ أبي طالِبٍ.
فَخَرَجتُ أتبَعُهُ وهُوَ مُتَوَجِّهٌ إلى سوقِ الإِبِلِ، فَلَمّا أتاها وَقَفَ، وقالَ: يا مَعشَرَ التُّجّارِ، إيّاكُم وَاليَمينَ الفاجِرَةَ؛ فَإِنَّها تُنفِقُ السِّلعَةَ، وتَمحَقُ البَرَكَةَ.
ثُمَّ مَضى حَتّى أتى إلَى التَّمّارينَ، فَإِذا جارِيَةٌ تَبكي عَلى تَمّار، فَقالَ: ما لَكِ؟قالَت: إنّي أمَةٌ، أرسَلَني أهلي أبتاعُ لَهُم بِدِرهَمٍ تَمراً، فَلَمّا أتَيتُهُم بِهِ لَم يَرضَوهُ، فَرَدَدتُهُ، فَأَبى أن يَقبَلَهُ! فَقالَ: يا هذا، خُذ مِنهَا التَّمرَ، ورُدَّ عَلَيها دِرهَمَها. فَأَبى، فَقيلَ لِلتَّمّارِ: هذا عَلِيُّ بنُ أبي طالِبٍ، فَقَبِلَ التَّمرَ، ورَدَّ الدِّرهِمَ عَلَى الجارِيَةِ، وقالَ: ما عَرَفتُكَ يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ، فَاغفِر لي. فَقالَ:يا مَعشَرَ التُّجّارِ، اتَّقُوا اللهَ، وأحسِنوا مُبايَعَتَكُم، يَغفِرُ اللهُ لَنا ولَكُم.
ثُمَّ مَضى حَتّى أتى سوقَ الكَرابيسِ، فَإِذا هُوَ بِرَجُل وَسيمٍ، فَقالَ: يا هذا، عِندَكَ ثَوبانِ بِخَمسَةِ دَراهِمَ؟ فَوَثَبَ الرَّجُلُ فَقالَ: يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ، عِندي حاجَتُكَ. فَلَمّا عَرَفَهُ مَضى عَنهُ. فَوَقَفَ عَلى غُلامٍ، فَقالَ: يا غُلامُ، عِندكَ ثَوبانِ بِخَمسَةِ دَراهِمَ؟قالَ: نَعَم عِندي، فَأَخَذَ ثَوبَينِ؛ أحَدَهُما بِثَلاثَةِ دَراهِمَ، وَالآخَرُ بِدِرهَمَينِ، فَقالَ: يا قَنبَرُ، خُذِ الَّذي بِثَلاثَةٍ. فَقالَ: أنتَ أولى بِهِ؛ تَصعَدُ المِنبَرَ، وتَخطُبُ النّاسَ. قالَ: وأنتَ شابٌّ ولَكَ شِرَّةُ الشَّبابِ، وأنَا أستَحيي مِن رَبّي أن أتَفَضَّلَ عَلَيكَ؛ سَمِعتُ رَسولَ اللهِ صلی الله علیه وآله يَقولُ: ألبِسوهُم مِمّا تَلبَسونَ، وأطعِموهُم مِمّا تَطعَمونَ.
فَلَمّا لَبِسَ القَميصَ مَدَّ يَدَهُ في ذلِكَ، فَإِذا هُوَ يَفضُلُ عَن أصابِعِهِ، فَقالَ: اِقطَعهذَا الفَضلَ، فَقَطَعَهُ، فَقالَ الغُلامُ: هَلُمَّ أكُفَّهُ، قالَ: دَعهُ كَما هُوَ؛ فَإِنَّ الأَمرَ أسرَعُ مِن ذلِكَ.¹