Al-Mas`ūdi writes in Murūj al-Dhahab that one needy person asked for help.

Al-Mas`ūdi writes in Murūj al-Dhahab that one needy person asked for help. `Ali (a.s) asked Imam al-Hasan (a.s) to fetch 1 dirham from home and give him. Imam al-Hasan (a.s) came and told that there were only 6 dirhams at home that were kept for buying the flour. `Ali (a.s) said that one should have more faith on what comes from Allah than on what is at one’s home. He then asked him to fetch all those 6 dirhams and give to the needy person.

Imam al-Hasan (a.s) brought the money and gave to the person. In that time, a person came riding on a camel. The Imam (a.s) asked if the camel was for sale. The man said that it was for sale at a price of 140 dirhams. The Imam (a.s) bought the camel and said that the payment would be made in a week. In a short while, another person came and bought the camel from the Imam (a.s) for two hundred dirhams.

The Imam (a.s) paid 140 dirhams to the man who sold the camel to him and went home with the balance of 60 dirhams. When Fatimah al-Zahra’ (a.s) asked him from where the money had come, he said, “Allah has sent me sixty dirhams for the six dirhams I gave in His way and that His word is true: “What you wear, give them to wear. What you eat, give them to eat.” Imam (a.s) had great concern for the slaves. He used to spend his hard-earned money to earn their freedom and to support them.

He got the slaves released and provided them opportunities to flourish. He believed that progress is not associated with any particular race or family. He said that a slave too has the same right to work and progress as does a freeman. Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (a.s) says: “Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) got release for 1,000 slaves with the money earned through his own hard work.”[1] The Imam (a.s) was not only arranging the release of slaves, but he used to take the responsibility of their upkeep as well.

If those released persons, because of their tender age, old age or sickness were unable to work for a livelihood, he always took care of them. His affection and care was of such magnitude that the slaves never felt that they could even be punished for their carelessness or faults. Therefore, once he called one of the slaves for some work. When he did not respond after several calls, the Imam (a.s) peeped out and saw the slave was standing near the door.

He said that he called him [1] Wasā’il al-Shī`ah several times but there was no response.