His kindness, generosity, and compassion knew no boundaries, whether toward friends or enemies. One of his servants presented him with a flower, and in return, he freed him in the way of God[1]. A man from the city of Damascus came to him and began to insult and curse him; in return, Imam Hasan gave him a place to stay, food, and clothes[2].
His kindness and generosity extended even to other creatures. A man said, “I saw him eating, and there was a dog in front of him. Every time he took a bite for himself, he would throw a similar piece of food to the dog.”
I asked, “O son of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family)! Would you allow me to remove this dog from here?” He replied, “Let it stay. For I feel shy in front of God Almighty that a living being be present before me, looking at me, and I eat while I do not offer it anything to eat[3].”
Indeed, Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (peace be upon him) was renowned far and wide for his goodness, kindness, and generosity. He would say, “A true friend is one who shows affection, even if they are not closely related. The most distant person is one who is devoid of love for others, even if they are the closest of kin[4].”
(Excerpted from the book Imam Hasan (peace be upon him), authored by Hujjat al-Islam Kazim Arfa, with summarizations and additions)
Footnotes:
[1] Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 43, Page 343
[2] Manaqib Ibn Shahr Ashub, Volume 4, Page 19
[3] Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 43, Page 352
[4] Tuhaf al-Uqool, Page 234; Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 75, Page 106