With the advent of Islam...

With the advent of Islam, such ideas were not forgotten altogether, and the people who showed generosity were divided into two groups: One group engaged in generous acts for the sake of Islamic teachings and in the way of God, and the next group did so in accordance with pagan and Arab customs, such as the generosity shown by two powerful chiefs of the Banu Tamim tribe in the caliphate of Imam 'Ali in the region of Kufah.

One of these was named Ghalib ibn Sa'sa'ah ad-Darami and the other Suhaym ibn Wathil ar-Riyahi. These two began to compete with each other in killing camels and feeding people for the sake of ostentation, rivalry and pride, which were based on pagan ideas. Each of them tried to excel the other in order to win fame and reputation. The contest began with the sacrifice of one camel and reached the number of one hundred camels.

The last time that this camel-killing contest took place was in the time of caliphate of the Alawite. The people of Kufah hurried with their baskets to the place of the slaughter where several hundred camels were slaughtered, to obtain free meat.

The Imam heard of this incident, and declared: "Do not eat the flesh of these camels, since they have been killed, not in the Name of God, but for the sake of pride and glory and on the basis of pagan customs." The declaration of the Imam is related to the yerse of the Qur'an which says: "Forbidden to you is that which dies of itself, and blood and flesh of swine, and that on which any other name than that of Allah has been invoked." (276).

The people of Kufah obeyed the order of Imam 'Ali and refused to partake of that flesh. They threw it all on a heap of rubbish at Kanasah of Kufah to be eaten by dogs and vultures.(277) In our opinion 'A'ishah belongs to the second group since she was always desirous prestige, reputation and respect, and to gain these benefits .the best way was such a show of generosity.

She could not easily let all the reputation and influence which she had gained during the rule of the former caliphs, be forgotten.(278) Credit and greatness, too, required assets. Therefore, as we shall see, she did her utmost to tolerate hardships and sometimes indigence caused by her extravagant offers, or she found herself compelled to be indebted to the tyrannical son of Abu Sufyan for securing money to be bountiful.