He asked them to leave...

He asked them to leave, and said: “To walk with a rider corrupts the moralities of that rider and causes humility to the walker[^7].” As he passed by a group of needy people who were having bits of bread that was put on a shirt, Imam al-Hussein (a) greeted them. When they invited him to their meal, he responded and sat with them. He said: “I would like to eat with you except that your food is alms[^8].” He invited them to his house, served them food, and gave them dresses and some money[^9].

In his journey to Khurasan, Imam ar-Rida (a) ordered to make a dining table and gathered all his servants, including the black ones, to eat with him. I suggested to him to use another dining table for the slaves. He answered: “What is this wording? The Lord is one, mother is one, father is one, and each one will be rewarded according to his own deeds[^10].” [^1]: Quoted from Qurb ul-Isnad. A similar narrative is recorded in Ilal ush-Sharaayi. [^2]: Quoted from Nahj ul-Balagha.

[^3]: Quoted from al-Kafi. [^4]: Quoted from al-Kafi. [^5]: Quoted from Safinat ul-Bihar; vol. 1 p. 415. [^6]: Abu Dharr al-Ghifari was one of the heroes of Islam and the four closest friends of Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) who supported him in the tragedy of the usurpation of his leadership. He was well known of his courage and revolutionary.

Othman ibn Affan, the third caliph, banished him to a village because of his public protestation against the caliph’s policy of preferring his relatives and kinsmen to the others where he died in a tragic situation, and that was an assertion of the Prophet’s prediction to him. [^7]: Quoted from al-Barqi; al-Mahasin [^8]: According to the Islamic Sharia, it is unallowable for the Prophet’s family to have or possess anything that is given as alms. [^9]: Quoted from Ibn Shahrashoub; al-Manaqib.