A person once spoke very harshly to the Imam and wrongly blamed the Imam for things he had never done. The Imam listened to all these quietly and without answering him. The man got tired and went away.
After he had gone the Imam asked his followers to go with punish the person. They all went with the Imam (A.S). On his way the Imam started reading the following verses of Qur’an:
“’Those who control their anger and forgive the people, Allah loves those who do good.” (3’133). His companions immediately knew that the Imam would forgive the person.
When they arrived at the person’s house and when the person saw them all, he was sure, the Imam had come to punish him. However, the Imam addressed him very gently saying, “Brother, you said things about me, if truly I have those faults, then I pray to Allah to forgive me. If, however, I do not have those faults, I pray to Allah to forgive you.”
The man was put to shame. He said, “You are free from all those faults. May Allah forgive me for making those false claims against you.” * Once a man abused the Imam (A.S) in his presence. The Imam acted like he did not hear it. Then the man shouted, “I mean you.” The Imam (A.S) replied, “And from you I am turning away.” By this the Imam (A.S) was acting according to the Qur’an which says “’Go to what is honourable and turn away from the ignorant” (7:199).
His Generosity
His acts of piety did not end with only spending his time communicating with Allah. He spent a lot of his time serving human beings also. He regularly visited the poor and the sick and provided for their necessities of life without their knowledge. In the darkness of the night, he would carry on his back bags of bread and food, cover his face so that no one could recognize him and go from door to door of the needy and serve them food.
None knew that this person was Imam Zainul Abidin(A.S) until his death Zuhir says that once when it was raining heavily at night, he saw the Imam carrying a heavy load on his back. He offered to help. The Imam said he was on his way to a journey.
The next day Zuhir still saw the Imam in Medina. Had the Imam postponed his journey? No. The Imam explained that he was preparing for the journey of the next world. He was on his way to feed the poor and did not want Zuhir to go with him as this could lead to the poor to recognize who their benefactor was.
Sheikh Mufid records that Imam Zainul Abidin (A.S) paid a visit to Zaid Bin Uthama Bin Zaid who was very sick. Zaid was weeping because he had debt of fifteen thousand dinars. The Imam promised Zaid that he would pay the full debt immediately and he did so.
These acts of generosity were not meant for the poor and for the Imam’s friends only. It was extended even to - his enemies. As will be illustrated in the following incidents.
You will recall that in A. H 64 the people of Medina removed Yezid’s governor from his post of governorship in Medina, Fearing for their lives, the Bani Ummayyah started running away from Medina. Marwan Bin Hakam had a large family of women and children and could not run away for his life unless he could find someone who would agree to house his women and children. Marwan approached several people including Abdullah Bin Omar Bin Khattab but all refused to help him.
Finally Marwan turned to Imam Zainul Abidin for help. Marwan was enemy number one of the Prophet (S.A.W.W) and his family. As a matter offact, the Prophet (S.A.W W) had ordered Marwan and his father Hakam Bin Aas to leave Medina as unwanted persons. It is the same Merwan who had fought against Imam Ali (A.S) in the Battle of Jamal. Merwan also was one ofthose who prevented Imam Hassan to be buried next to his grandfather’s grave. Again, it was Merwan who had told Walid, the Governor of Medina in A.H. 60 to force “Bayah” from Imam Husain (A.S) in the court or to cut-off his head if he refused.
Despite this, the Imam (A.S) agreed to help Marwan. Merwan’s family stayed with the Imam in Imam’s house for as long as they wished. The Imam then arranged for them to go to where Merwan was.
In fact, Imam’s house was open for anyone who came seeking for protection at this time.
Source:
A Brief Biography of Ali Ibn Husain (a.s)
By: Muhammad Reza Dungersi. PH.D
[Vol. 1, Pg. 25-26].
