263. Da`ā'im al-Islām: “He [Ali] (a.s.) was sitting and distributing some money among the Muslims and an elderly man stopped next to him and said: “O Commander of the Faithful! As you see, I am an aged man and I am a contracted slave (mukātab),1 so help me from this money.” He said: “By God, this wealth is not the earning of my hands, nor it is my father’s bequest to me; rather it is a trust that I should keep and return to its owners; however, take a seat.”
The old man sat down and the people gathered around the Commander of the Faithful. He looked at them and said: ‘May God forgive him who helps this old man!” People started to help him out.”2
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Refraining from Preferring One’s Children
and Kin over Others
264. al-Isti`āb: “Ali (a.s.)…would not leave anything of the wealth in the treasury, unless he was unable to distribute it the same day and he would say: “O World! Deceive other than me!” He would not allocate anything of the booties for himself nor would he dedicate anything to his close ones or kin.”3
265. al-Ikhtisās - reporting on the merits of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.): “One day before his martyrdom, people came to his audience and all of them testified that he improved the public assets and withheld himself from their world. He did not take bribes, nor used the Muslims’ treasury, even as little as a camel’s shackle; he did not make use of his own wealth except for his dire need. All of them testified that the most distant people to him had the same position to him as the nearest ones.”4
1.. A mukātab slave is one who has contracted with his master that if he pays his price he will be freed.
2.. Da`ā'im al-Islām, vol. ۲, p. ۳۱۰, h. ۱۱۷۱, Manāqib Ali ibn Abi Tālib, vol. ۲, p. ۱۱۰.
3.. al-Isti`āb, vol. ۳, p. ۲۱۰, h. ۱۸۷۵.
4.. al-Ikhtisās, p. ۱۶۰.
