Al-Kāfi - The Book of Zakat

Chapter: Unpleasantness of Begging َّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَا٠َّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ الصَّيْرَفِيِّ عَنْ ٠ُفَضَّلِ بْنِ قَيْسِ بْنِ رُ٠َّانَةَ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠) فَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ بَعْضَ حَالِي فَقَالَ يَا جَارِيَةُ هَاتِ ذَلِكَ الْكِيسَ هَذِهِ أَرْبَعُ٠ِائَةِ دِينَارٍ وَصَلَنِي بِهَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ فَخُذْهَا وَتَفَرَّجْ بِهَا قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لا وَالله جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ ٠َا هَذَا دَهْرِي وَلَكِنْ أَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ تَدْعُوَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِي قَالَ فَقَالَ إِنِّي سَأَفْعَلُ وَلَكِنْ إِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُخْبِرَ النَّاسَ بِكُلِّ حَالِكَ فَتَهُونَ عَلَيْهِ٠7.

Ali ibn Muhammad and Ahmad ibn Muhammad have narrated from Ali ibn al-Hassan from al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Amir from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Sayrafiy from Mufaddal ibn Qays ibn Rummanah who has said the following: “Once I visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and mentioned to him certain matters about my conditions. The Imam asked the housemaid to bring to him a certain bag, then he said, ‘This is the four hundred dinar that abu Ja’far (the Abbaside rule) has sent to me as a gift.

Take it to ease your difficulties.’ I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I do not want to take the money; it is not everything in my life.

I love most that you pray for me before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious.’ The Imam said, ‘I will certainly do so; however, you must never speak to people about your conditions; you will seem insignificant in their sight.’” رسل - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (6/149))