As long as I live, I shall never seek to possess more than this quantity.

As long as I live, I shall never seek to possess more than this quantity.” ‘Ata says: I noticed Abu Dharr offering prayers in an old garment. “O’ Abu Dharr! Don’t you have a better garment?” I asked him. “If I had one, you would have seen me in it,” he replied. “But for a period, I had seen you with two outfits,” I said. “I gave the other one to my nephew, who was in greater need than me.” “By Allah! You are needy yourself,” I exclaimed. He raised his head towards the sky and implored, “Indeed!

O’ Lord! I am in need of Your forgiveness.” He then turned to me and continued, “It appears that you have come to regard this world as something very important and significant.

In addition to this garment that you presently see on me, I have one more garment which is exclusive for the mosque, some goats which provide me with milk, some food, a wooden case in which I carry my belongings and a wife who relieves me from the troubles of cooking; what bounty could be greater than what I possess?” Some people suggested to Abu Dharr, “Do you not desire to purchase properties for yourself as the others have done for themselves?” “What need do I have to become an aristocrat or a nobleman?” he replied.

“A drink of milk and water every day and a (small) amount of wheat in a week are quite sufficient for me!”[^5] A Drunkard is not to be Trusted Isma`il, the eldest son of Imam Sadiq (as), had some money in his possession. When he learned that a person from the tribe of Quraish who was living in Madinah, was about to set out for Yemen, he decided to hand him some money so that he could purchase for him some merchandise for trade.

When Isma`il consulted his father, Imam Sadiq (as) about the issue, the Imam (as) inquired: “Does the man consume intoxicants?” “People say so, but how do we know they speak the truth?” replied Isma`il. The Imam (as) advised him, “It is not in your interest to give him the money*.*” But Isma`il still gave his money to the person, who proceeded on his trip and in the course of it, embezzled the funds. During the season of Hajj, both Imam Sadiq (as) and Isma`il went on pilgrimage.

Isma`il was in the process of performing the Tawaf of the Ka’bah when the Imam (as) noticed that he was continually beseeching Allah to redeem his losses. Manoeuvring himself through the crowd, the Imam (as) reached his son and placing his hand upon his shoulder, squeezed it lightly and said: “My Son! Do not seek anything from Allah needlessly, for you have no right upon Him.