257. Rabi` al-Abrār – narrating from Abu Tufayl: “I saw Ali (a.s.) calling orphans and giving them honey to eat, to the extent that one of the companions said: “I wish I were an orphan too!”¹

258. Ansāb al-Ashrāf – narrating from al-Hakam: “I saw Ali (a.s.) to whom several containers of honey were brought and he called the orphans and said: “Come here and eat!” to the extent that I wished I had been an orphan. Then he distributed the honey among people and one container was left and he ordered it to
be given to the people of the mosque.”²

259. Al-Manāqib: “Ali (a.s.) saw a woman carrying a container of water on her shoulder. He took the container from her and carried it to her house and he asked about her situation. The woman said: “Ali ibn Abi Tālib sent my husband to a frontier region and he was killed and he left behind orphaned children to me. I have no wealth and I have to serve people as a housemaid.”
Ali (a.s.) returned and was distressed throughout the whole night. When the morning dawned, he took a basket of food on his back. Some people said: “Let us carry it for you.”
He said: “Who will carry my sins for me on the day of Resurrection?”
Then he went to her house and knocked at the door.
The woman asked: “Who are you?”
Ali (a.s.) replied: “The one who carried your water container for you yesterday. Open the door; I have brought some food for your children.”
The woman said: “May God be pleased with you and judge between me and Ali ibn Abi Tālib.”
He then entered the house and said: “I would like to earn some rewards; so choose between either you making dough and
baking bread or amusing the children and I will make bread?”
The woman said: “I am more acquainted with the baking and more capable of it. You stay with the children and keep them amused until I finish with the baking of bread.” Then the woman took the flour and kneaded it and Ali (a.s.) picked up the meat, cooked it and made morsels of dates, meat and other foodstuff and put them in the children’s mouth. Every time the children swallowed a mouthful, he would tell them: “My child! Forgive Ali ibn Abi Tālib for what has befallen you!”
While the woman kneaded the flour, she said: “O Servant of God! Make some fire in the oven!” Ali (a.s.) hastened to make the fire and when it flared up and the heat touched his face, he said: “O Ali! Taste it! This is the punishment of he who neglects the widows and the orphans.”
Another woman who knew Ali (a.s.) saw him and she said to the widow: “Woe onto you! This is the Commander of the Faithful!”
The narrator said: “The woman hastily said: “I am ashamed before you, O Commander of the Faithful!”
Ali (a.s.) said: “I feel ashamed before you, O servant of God, since I fell short of your affairs.”³

257. ربيع الأبرار عن أبي الطُّفيل: رَأَيتُ عَلِيّاً ـ كَرَّمَ اللهُ وَجهَهُ ـ يَدعُو اليَتامَى فَيُطعِمُهُمُ العَسَلَ، حَتّى قالَ بَعضُ أصحابِهِ: لَوَدِدتُ أنّي كُنتُ يَتيماً.¹

258. أنساب الأشراف عن الحَكَم: شَهِدتُ عَلِيّاً واُتِيَ بِزِقاقٍ مِن عَسَلٍ، فَدَعَا اليَتامى وقالَ: دِبّوا² وَالعَقوا، حَتّى تَمَنَّيتُ أنّي يَتيمٌ، فَقَسَمَهُ بَينَ النّاسِ وبَقِيَ مِنهُ زِقٌّ،³ فَأَمَرَ أن يُسقاهُ أهلَ المَسجِدِ.⁴

259. المناقب لابن شهر آشوب: نَظَرَ عَلِيٌّ إلَى امرَأَةٍ عَلى كَتِفِها قِربَةُ ماء، فَأَخَذَ مِنهَا القِربَةَ فَحَمَلَها إلى مَوضِعِها، وسَأَلَها عَن حالِها فَقالَت: بَعَثَ عَلِيُّ بنُ أبي طالِبٍ صاحِبي إلى بَعضِ الثُّغورِ فَقُتِلَ، وتَرَكَ عَلَيَّ صِبياناً يَتامىٰ ولَيسَ عِندي شَيءٌ، فَقَد ألجَأَتنِي الضَّرورَةُ إلى خِدمَةِ النّاسِ. فَانصَرَفَ وباتَ لَيلَتَهُ قَلِقاً.
فَلَمّا أصبَحَ حَمَلَ زِنبِيلاً فيهِ طَعامٌ، فَقالَ بَعضُهُم: أعطِني أحمِلهُ عَنكَ. فَقالَ: مَن يَحمِلُ وِزري عَنّي يَومَ القِيامَةِ! فَأَتى وقَرَعَ البابَ، فَقالَت: مَن هذا؟ قالَ: أنَا ذلِكَ العَبدُ الَّذي حَمَلَ مَعَكِ القِربَةَ، فَافتَحي فَإِنَّ مَعي شَيئاً لِلصِّبيانِ. فَقالَت: رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنكَ وحَكَمَ بَيني وبَينَ عَلِيِّ بنِ أبي طالِبٍ! فَدَخَلَ وقالَ: إنّي أحببَتُ اكتِسابَ
الثَّوابِ فَاختاري بَينَ أن تَعجِنينَ⁵ وتَخبِزينَ، وبَينَ أن تُعَلِّلينَ⁶ الصِّبيانَ لاَِخبِزَ أنَا. فَقالَت: أنَا بِالخُبزِ أبصَرُ وعَلَيهِ أقدَرُ، ولكِن شَأنَكَ وَالصِّبيانَ؛ فَعَلِّلهُم حَتّى أفرُغَ مِنَ الخُبزِ. فَعَمَدَت إلَى الدَّقيقِ فَعَجَنَتهُ، وعَمَدَ عَلِيٌّ علیه السلام إلَى اللَّحمِ فَطَبَخَهُ، وجَعَلَ يُلقِمُ الصِّبيانَ مِنَ اللَّحمِ وَالتَّمرِ وغَيرِهِ، فَكُلَّما ناوَلَ الصِّبيانَ مِن ذلِكَ شَيئاً قالَ لَهُ: يا بُنَيَّ، اجعَل عَلِيَّ بنَ أبي طالِب في حِلٍّ مِمّا مَرَّ في أمرِكَ. فَلَمَّا اختَمَرَ العَجينُ قالَت: يا عَبدَ اللهِ، سَجِّرِ التَّنّورَ. فَبادَرَ لِسَجرِهِ، فَلَمّا أشعَلَهُ ولَفحَ في وَجهِهِ جَعَلَ يَقولُ: ذُق يا عَلِيُّ! هذا جَزاءُ مَن ضَيَّعَ الأَرامِلَ وَاليَتامى. فَرَأَتهُ امرَأَةٌ تَعرِفهُ فَقالَت: وَيحَكِ! هذا أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ. قالَ: فَبادَرَتِ المَرأَةُ وهِيَ تَقولُ: وا حَيايَ مِنكَ يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ!فَقالَ: بَل وا حَيايَ مِنكِ يا أمَةَ اللهِ فيما قَصَّرتُ في أمرِكِ!⁷