The Holy Imam -asws said: ‘Keep fasting and give charity’.

The Holy Imam -asws said: ‘Keep fasting and give charity’. I said: ‘Shall I give charity from that which my brothers have given me despite it being very little?’ The Holy Imam -asws replied: ‘Give out of whatever that Allah -azwj has given you even then you have to give priority to needy one over yourself’.

قال : وقال ( عليه السلام ) : استغنوا عن الناس ولو بشوص السواك The Holy Prophet -saww said: ‘Refrain from depending on people even if it is of cleaning your toothbrush (i.e., Do it yourself).’ محمد بن الحسين الرضي في ( نهج البلاغة ) عن أمير المؤمنين ( عليه السلام ) إن فوت الحاجة أهون من طلبها إلى غير أهلها . وقال ( عليه السلام ) العفاف زينة الفقر ، والشكر زينة الغنى . Syed Razi relates that the Holy Imam Ali -asws said: ‘Death of a desire is better than to ask from someone for it to be fulfilled.

Piety is the adornment in poverty just as thankfulness is the adornment in straitened circumstances.’ قَالَ وَ قَالَ ع‏ وَجْهُكَ مَاءٌ جَامِدٌ يُقَطِّرُهُ السُّؤَالُ فَانْظُرْ عِنْدَ مَنْ تُقَطِّرُهُ.

The Holy Imam Ali -asws said: ‘Your face is like a collection of water which gets scattered into drops by asking from people.’ أحمد بن فهد في ( عدة الداعي ) عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) قال : شيعتنا من لا يسأل الناس ولو مات جوعا Ibn Fahad Hilli has narrated from the Holy Imam Ja’far Al Sadiq -asws that: ‘Our Shia is one who would rather die of hunger than beg from people.’ قال : وقال النبي ( صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ) يوما لأصحابه : ألا تبايعوني ؟ فقالوا : قد بايعناك يا رسول الله ، قال : تبايعوني على أن لا تسألوا الناس ، فكان بعد ذلك تقع المخصرة من يد أحدهم فينزل لها ولا يقول لأحد : ناولنيها .

It has been related from the Holy Prophet -saww saying to His -saww companions: ‘Have you all not done my ‘Baiyyat?’ They all replied, ‘Yes, O Prophet of Allah, we do indeed!’ He -saww said: ‘You promise Me that you will never beg from the people.’ And so the companions did that to the extent that even if a rider’s whip were to fall down from his hand, he would not ask anyone to give it to him, but would dismount and pick it up himself.’ قَالَ وَ قَالَ ع‏ لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يَتَّخِذُ حَبْلًا فَيَأْتِي بِحُزْمَةِ حَطَبٍ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَبِيعُهَا فَيَكُفُّ بِهَا وَجْهَهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ.

The Holy Prophet -saww said: ‘It is better if you were to take a rope and fetch some firewood to sell it than beg from the people.’ ـ قال : وقال النبي ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) : من سألنا أعطيناه ، ومن استغنى أغناه الله .

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