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Simplicity and Caution in Spending from the Public Treasury
280. Imām Ali (a.s.) – in his letter to his administrators: “Sharpen your pens, shorten the space between the lines, [in writing to me] be brief and terse in wording and attend to the meaning, and avoid excessive writing; for the public treasury will not withstand to incur loss.”1
281. Ihqāq al-Haq: “One night Ali (a.s.) entered the treasury and was writing down the distribution of the wealth when Talha and Zubair came in. He turned off the light in front of him and ordered a light to be brought in from his house.
Talha and Zubair asked him for the reason and he said: “The oil of the light belongs to the public treasury and it is not correct for me to speak with you under its light.”2
282. Makārim al-Akhlāq – narrating from `Aqil ibn `Abd al-Rahmān al-Khawlāni: “My aunt was the wife of `Aqil, son of Abu Tālib and she went to visit Ali (a.s.) in Kufa and he was sitting on a worn out donkey packsaddle. She said: “At this time Ali’s (a.s.) wife from the Bani Tamim tribe arrived and I told her: “Woe onto you! Your house is full of goods and the Commander of the Faithful is sitting on a torn packsaddle?”
The woman said: “Do not reproach me. By God, whatever he sees that is unfamiliar to him, he places it in the treasury.”3
1.. al-Khisāl, p. ۳۱۰, h. ۸۵, Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۴۱, p. ۱۰۵, h. ۶.
2.. Ihqāq al-Haq, vol. ۸, p. ۵۳۹, al-Manāqib al-Murtadawiya, p. ۲۸۹.
3.. Makārim al-Akhlāq, vol. ۱, p. ۲۸۶, h. ۸۹۴, Manāqib Ali ibn Abi Tālib, vol. ۲, p.۹۷.
