Do you think I will prefer you to myself?

Do you think I will prefer you to myself?” Aqil[^7] stood up and said: “This means that you will put me and the black ones of Medina on the same level, does it not?” The Imam (a) asked him to sit down, and said, “You have no preference to the black ones of Medina except by means of a virtue in Islam or piety[^8].” The following narration in recorded by Ibn Hagar in his book titled ‘As-Sawaaiq ul-Muhriqa’ page 79: (Ibn Asakir narrated that) Aqil asked Amirul- Mu'minin (a) to give him some money because he was poor.

The Imam told him to wait until his share of the public treasury would come out. As Aqil insisted, the Imam asked a man to take Aqil to the market and lead him to the locks of the stores so that he would unlock and take from them. “Do you want me to be thief?” asked Aqil. The Imam (a) said: “And do you want me to be thief as you ask me to give you the shares of Muslims?” Aqil then threatened he…