Not having any money with him...

Not having any money with him, the Sheikh picked up his copper jar, handed it to him and said: “Take this and sell it.” A couple of days later when his family members realized that the jar was missing, they created an uproar, shouting: “A thief has taken away our jar.” When the Sheikh, who was in his library, heard the outcry, he said to them: “Do not accuse the thieves for I am the one who has taken the jar.” Once, on one of his trips to Samarrah, he fell seriously ill.

Mirza Shirazi paid him a visit and began comforting him, whereupon the Sheikh said to him: “I am not at all fearful of death; my uneasiness is due to the fact that according to our beliefs, when we die, our souls are taken in the presence of the Imam-e-Asr (peace be upon him). If, at that time, the Imam were to question me: “O' Zainul 'abidin!

With the credibility and esteem that we had bestowed upon you, you could have borrowed a greater amount of money for helping the needy than what you used to; why then did you not do so?

… What shall I answer him (a.s)?'” It is reported that Mirza Shirazi was greatly affected by these words; returning home, he brought out all the religious taxes that lay in his house and distributed them amongst the needy.[^3] More Generous than Hatim Hatim Tai was questioned: “Have you come across any one more generous than yourself?” He replied: “Yes, I have.” He was asked: “Where?” He said: “I had been travelling in the desert when I came across a tent.

Inside it there was an old lady while behind the tent a goat lay tied. When the old lady saw me she approached me and held the reins of my horse so that I could dismount. A little later, her son arrived and was immensely pleased to have me as their guest. The old lady said to him: “Commence the preparations to entertain our guest.

Go and slaughter the goat and prepare some food.”' The son said: “First I shall go and collect some firewood,” but the old lady said: “Going to the desert and bringing the firewood shall consume a lot of time due to which our guest would have to remain hungry for long, and this would be contrary to social etiquette.” So the son, breaking the only two lances that he possessed, slaughtered the goat, prepared the food and presented it before me.

When I investigated about their condition, I realized that the goat had been their only possession and despite this, they had slaughtered it for me.