The Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) have always made the most of every opportunity and occasion to guide and teach humanity, imparting wisdom and lessons as needed. The following story is an example of one of these opportunities, particularly in relation to how to help the poor and those in need.
One day, Uthman (the third caliph) was sitting next to the mosque. A poor man came to him and asked for financial help. Uthman gave him five dirhams.
The poor man said, “Guide me to someone who can give me more.”
Uthman pointed to Imam Hasan, Imam Husayn (peace be upon them), and Abdullah ibn Ja’far, who were sitting in a corner of the mosque, and said, “Go to these young men over there and ask them for help.”
The poor man approached them, made his request, and asked for their help.
Imam Hasan (peace be upon him), in his role as a teacher of proper etiquette and the conditions for requesting help, said, “Asking others for financial help is only appropriate in three situations: When someone has a blood debt (diya) that they are unable to pay; or when they have a crushing debt they cannot repay; or when they are poor and destitute and cannot reach out to anyone else. Which of these applies to you?”[1]
The poor man replied, “In fact, my situation fits one of these three.”
Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) gave him fifty dinars. Following Imam Hasan’s example, Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) gave him forty-nine dinars, and Abdullah ibn Ja’far gave him forty-eight dinars.[2]
As the poor man was leaving, he passed by Uthman again. Uthman asked, “What did you receive?”
The poor man replied, “I asked you for money, and you gave me some, but you never asked what I needed it for. When I went to those three, one of them (Hasan ibn Ali) asked me how I would use the money, and after I explained, each of them gave me the amount I needed.”
Uthman said, “This family is the center of knowledge and wisdom, the source of goodness and virtue. Who could be like them?”[3]
(Adapted from the book Seerah of the Leaders by Hujjat al-Islam Mahdi Pishvayi, with additions)
Footnotes:
[1] Imam Hasan (peace be upon him), who throughout his blessed life gave countless amounts to the needy, set forth these three conditions for giving to the poor as a way of teaching people when and how to offer help. His actions, considering the circumstances, were part of his wisdom, and even his acts of giving without asking questions should be viewed in the same light. Truly, Imam Hasan can be regarded as the prime example of generosity in history, and rightly so, should be remembered as the model of generosity.
[2] The reason Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) gave one dirham less than Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) and Abdullah ibn Ja’far gave one dirham less than Imam Husayn seems to be out of respect for each other’s rank. If any of them had given more than Imam Hasan, it could have been perceived that they held a higher status than him.
[3] Khisal, Vol. 1, p. 135; Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 43, p. 333