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KINDNESS ON WIDOWS, ORPHANS AND THE POOR

Islam is not only performing the mandatory duties Viz: prayers, Fasting Hajj, etc… but it is a collection of beliefs and commensurate actions by the Believers. Kind treatment to the widows, orphans and the poor too is a part of good deeds that a Muslim must perform. If a person indulges only in personal comforts and luxuries not bothering about the orphans and other needy around him, he is not fulfilling the requirements of the Faith. When the Prophet (a.s) was asked about the requirements of the Faith, he said:

“Faith is respecting the Commands of Allah and kindness on His creatures.”

It is the duty of every Muslim that, according to his capability, he helped the poor and needy persons but as the head of the State this is the most important function of his office that he ensures that the care of such poor and destitute persons was not neglected.

Amir al-Mu’minin’s heart was a depository of affection and care. Whenever he found a poor person, he felt kindness and compassion for him. He treated the orphans in a way that they forgot that they were orphans. Once containers of figs and honey arrived from Halwan and Hamdan. The Imam (a.s) asked some men to assemble orphans. When the children came, he distributed the honey and the figs to them. The children were taking the honey and licking the remnants sticking to the side s of the containers. Some person said what has happened to the children that they were licking the honey and the Imam (a.s) is not stopping them from doing it. The Imam (a.s) said:

“Imam is the father of the orphans and because of this filial sentiment I have allowed the kids to lick the honey!”

Once the Imam (a.s) was passing through a lane. He noticed a woman carrying a leathern bag of water on her shoulder. Out of kindness, he took the bag from her and carried it himself. He asked if she had a male member at her home. She said that her husband was sent by Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) on a campaign where he was martyred and that her children have been orphaned. She said that she was herself bringing the water and earning a livelihood for

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her children and herself through hard labor. The Imam (a.s) came home after leaving the water bag at the woman’s home. The whole night he was thinking about the troubles that family was facing. Early morning he bought the necessities for food and went to the house of the woman. When he knocked at the door, the woman asked who it was. The Imam (a.s) said that he was the same person who had carried the water bag to he home. She opened the door and the Imam (a.s) entered. He gave her the food materials he had brought. He asked her if she wanted to knead the flour or to tend to her children. She said that she would knead the flour and he can tend to her children in that time. When she finished the kneading she said, O kind person! Now put fire to the oven!” The Imam (a.s) put firewood in the oven and lighted it. When the flames rose, he felt the heat and thought:

“O `Ali! Feel the heat of keeping away from the orphans and the widows!”

In that time a woman from the neighborhood came and told the woman if she was not ashamed of asking Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) to work on the hot oven. When she heard this, she was very sorry. She craved his pardons telling him that she had not recognized him. The Imam (a.s) said that he himself was sorry that he did not care for her and the children for so long.

Once he came out of the Mosque after the prayers. He saw a woman crying at the threshold. The Imam (a.s) inquired the reason of her crying. She said that her husband was cruel and was committing excesses on her and he had sworn that he would kill her. The Imam (a.s) told her that he would call him over after the sun goes down and try to correct him. She expressed her doubt and fear that he might do something serious in that time. The Imam (a.s) then agreed to go to her house immediately in the hot sun. Reaching the house, he called for the man who came out. The Imam (a.s) told him that he should have fear of Allah and he should not trouble his wife. The man could not recognize the Imam (a.s) and asked who was he to interfere in his domestic matters. He stubbornly said that even if he were not troubling his wife earlier, he would do it. In that, time some of the neighbors too assembled there. When they saw Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) they told the person that he was speaking in that manner with the Imam (a.s). The man repented his behavior and promised that he would not be harsh with his wife thenceforth even if she were very unreasonable. The Imam (a.s) sent the woman home advising her not to disobey her husband.

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The Imam (a.s) used to do social service and give monetary assistance to the deserving at the cost of his own essential needs. No person asking for help went empty-handed from his door. Al-Mas`ūdi writes in Murūj al-Dhahab that one needy person asked for help. `Ali (a.s) asked Imam al-Hasan (a.s) to fetch 1 dirham from home and give him. Imam al-Hasan (a.s) came and told that there were only 6 dirhams at home that were kept for buying the flour. `Ali (a.s) said that one should have more faith on what comes from Allah than on what is at one’s home. He then asked him to fetch all those 6 dirhams and give to the needy person. Imam al-Hasan (a.s) brought the money and gave to the person. In that time, a person came riding on a camel. The Imam (a.s) asked if the camel was for sale. The man said that it was for sale at a price of 140 dirhams. The Imam (a.s) bought the camel and said that the payment would be made in a week. In a short while, another person came and bought the camel from the Imam (a.s) for two hundred dirhams. The Imam (a.s) paid 140 dirhams to the man who sold the camel to him and went home with the balance of 60 dirhams. When Fatimah al-Zahra’ (a.s) asked him from where the money had come, he said, “Allah has sent me sixty dirhams for the six dirhams I gave in His way and that His word is true:

“What you wear, give them to wear. What you eat, give them to eat.”

Imam (a.s) had great concern for the slaves. He used to spend his hard-earned money to earn their freedom and to support them. He got the slaves released and provided them opportunities to flourish. He believed that progress is not associated with any particular race or family. He said that a slave too has the same right to work and progress as does a freeman. Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (a.s) says:

“Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) got release for 1,000 slaves with the money earned through his own hard work.”[1]

The Imam (a.s) was not only arranging the release of slaves, but he used to take the responsibility of their upkeep as well. If those released persons, because of their tender age, old age or sickness were unable to work for a livelihood, he always took care of them. His affection and care was of such magnitude that the slaves never felt that they could even be punished for their carelessness or faults. Therefore, once he called one of the slaves for some work. When he did not respond after several calls, the Imam (a.s) peeped out and saw the slave was standing near the door. He said that he called him

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several times but there was no response. The man said that he thought perhaps he was being called to be reprimanded for some fault and in his fear, he did not respond. The Imam (a.s) hearing this said:

“I thank Allah that He has made me in a way that His creatures do not expect any harm from me. Rise, you are free in the way of Allah!”

One of the slaves of `Ali (a.s) was Qanbar who was very dear to him. Once he took Qanbar along to the bazaar. He told Qanbar that he wanted to buy a cloak and that he too needed one. Therefore, they went to a garment sellers shop and he bought one expensive and another cheaper cloak. He asked Qanbar to take the expensive cloak and leave the other for him. Qanbar said that he was the master and should wear the better dress. The Imam (a.s) replied:

“You are a youth and you have the taste and desire of youth. I feel ashamed before Allah to dress in superior quality garment.”[1]

Perhaps it may not sound strange that the Imam (a.s) preferred poorer quality cloth for himself and an expensive cloak for his slave because the rulers used to dress their retainers is finery and show them off in the courts. The slaves did dress in costly raiment but their feeling of being slaves never left them. Every slave used to view that show with hate. He used to think that he would prefer tattered clothes on his body in freedom rather than the finery in slavery! Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s), who had a deep understanding of human nature, with a thought that Qanbar might feel that he was being given the expensive cloak to impress on him that he was a slave, mentioned to him that he was a youth and would have taste for better clothes that has to be worn by the young and not the old persons.