Strange Obligation
A person once came to Imam Hassan (radiyallahu anhu) and asked him to help him in his need. The Imam said to him, “You have put me under an obligation by asking me a favour and it has become incumbent upon me to give you enough money to meet this requirement and worthy of being presented to a man or your status. But, at this moment, my financial position does not allow me to give you as much as I should. Whatever amount a man might spent for the cause of Allah, it would seem insignificant (when set against infinite bounties of Allah to him), but I am helpless, for I do not posses as much as I should give as a sign of my gratitude to you for letting me know about your need. Now if you are willing to accept as much as I can afford to give you and do not want me to procure more from other sources, I shall be glad to present to you the little amount I posses, though it will fail to fulfil my obligation to you.” The man said, “O son of Rasulullah, I sell be glad to accept whatever amount you bestow upon me, and feel greatful to you, and believe you to be incapable of given more.”
The Imam then told his treasurer to fetch whatever remained of the three hundred thousand Dirhams he had put in his custody. The treasurer brought fifty thousand Dirhams (the rest had already been spent on similar occasions), whereupon Imam Hassan (radiyallahu anhu) said, “I also rember giving you five hundred Dinars (gold pices “, and treasurer said that he had them in his possession. The Imam told him to fetch the Dinars as well and then asked the man to fetch some porter to carry this fortune to his house. When he bought two porters, Hassan (radiyallahu anhu) gave him the entire fortune and, as he was leaving, the Imam took off his upper garments and gave it him, saying, “It is also my duty to pay the wages of the labourers for carrying the money to them as wages.” At this, the slaves of the Imam (radiyallahu anhu) said to him, “We have been left nothing to buy us our food: you have given away your entire fortune.” The Imam Said, “I have Perfect faith in the bounty of Allah ta’ala and I earnestly hope that He will grant me bounteous reward for this act of kindness.” (Ihya).
Just imagine! The Imam (Radiyallahu anhu) gave away such a large fortune, keeping back nothing with him and yet he felt sorry at the thought that he had not given the man his due.
From: Fazaail-e-Sadkqaat
