The price of wheat and bread in Medina was increasing day by day. Anxiety and fear gripped the people. Those who had not yet secured their annual provisions were striving to do so, and those who had, were vigilant in safeguarding their stock. Among them, there were also people who, due to poverty, were compelled to purchase their daily provisions from the market.
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) asked Mu‘tab, the person in charge of his household expenses:
“Do we have wheat stored in our house this year?”
Mu‘tab replied:
“Yes, O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family)! We have enough wheat stored to last for several months.”
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) instructed:
“Take it to the market, make it available to the people, and sell it.”
Mu‘tab, astonished, responded:
“O son of the Messenger of Allah! Wheat is scarce in Medina. If we sell this, we may not be able to buy wheat again.”
The Imam replied:
“This is exactly what I want. Sell it all and make it available to the people.”
Mu‘tab complied with the Imam’s command, sold the wheat, and reported the outcome.
Then Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) instructed him:
“From now on, purchase the household’s daily bread from the market. The bread of my household must not be different from that consumed by the general public. From now on, our bread should be made half from wheat and half from barley. I thank Allah that I have the means to provide my household with the finest wheat bread for the entire year, but I will not do so. I refrain to ensure that, before Allah, I have shown solidarity with the people in their struggles and adhered to moderation and balance in household expenses.”[1]
(Adapted from the book “Dastan Rastan” (Stories of the Righteous) by Martyr Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari, with slight modifications)
Footnote:
[1] Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 47, Page 59