Generous Donation of Imam Hassan (as) to the slave who gave bread to a dog
Today we want to quote a narration on generosity and munificence of the infallible Imams who are the Proof of God on the earth.
The infallible Imams are the mines of God’s grace, treasurers of His knowledge, and possessors of munificence.
In this narration, it is mentioned:
Once, Imam Hassan Mojtaba (as) was walking in one of the gardens of the city of Medina, where he suddenly saw a black slave who had a loaf of bread in his hand and ate a bite himself and gave a bite to a dog beside him, until the bread was over.
When Imam saw this scene, he addressed the slave: “Why did you give the bread to the dog and did not store some of it for yourself?” The slave replied: “Because my eyes were ashamed of the dog’s wishful eyes and I was ashamed to eat the bread and see the dog hungry.”
Imam Hasan (as) asked: “Who is your master?”
The slave answered: “My master is Abān ibn ‘Uthman.”
Imam said: “Whose is this garden?
The servant replied: “This garden belongs to my master.”
Then Imam stated: “By God, I adjure you not to move from your place until I return.”
After that, Imam went to the master of the servant, and through a dialogue with Abān ibn ‘Uthman, bought the servant as well as the garden from him, and then returned to the servant and said to him: “O servant! I bought you from your master.”
Suddenly, the servant stood up and respected.
Then, Imam continued: “I also bought this garden, and now I free you in the way of the Almighty God, and give you this garden.”
The Twelfth Imam also, like his infallible fathers, is possessor of the same generosity and munificence.
So, we ask God to bring his coming closer so that this generosity and munificence would also extends to us.
Source:
Forty Stories and Hadiths of Imam Hassan (as)
Iḥqāq al-Ḥaq: vol. 11, p. 146.
