221. al-Ghārāt – narrating from Âahhāk ibn Muzāhim from Imām Ali (a.s.): “My friend, the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) would not keep anything for the next day, but Abu Bakr did. `Umar ibn Khattāb, however, decided to establish bureaus and the distribution of the wealth to be on yearly basis; but I will do as did my friend, the Messenger of God (s.a.w.).”
[The narrator said:] Ali (a.s.) used to distribute the wealth every Friday and would say:
“This is my harvest and the best of it is in it;
Yet, every harvester puts it with his own hand in his own mouth.”12
222. Sharh Nahj al-Balāghah – narrating from `Abd al-Rahmān ibn `Ajlān: “Ali (a.s.) used to distribute seeds of flax, pepper-grass, caraway, and other things among the people.”3
1.. Ibn Athir said, “This is a parable first uttered by `Amr, Jadhima’s nephew. He and his friends were picking mushrooms and whenever his friends found a good mushroom, they would put it in their mouth, but he would place it in his sleeve to take it to his [maternal] uncle. Ali (a.s.) has implied by this parable that he does not ruin the Muslims’ wealth; rather, he puts it in its rightful place.” al-Nihāya, vol. ۱, p. ۳۰۹.
2.. al-Ghārāt, vol. ۱, p. ۴۷, Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۱۰۰, p. ۶۰, h. ۹.
3.. Sharh Nahj al-Balāghah, vol. ۲, p. ۱۹۹, al-Ghārāt, vol. ۱, p. ۶۰, Bihār al-Anwār, vol.۴۱, p. ۱۳۶.
