One day an old man came to Medina. At the time of prayers he began to make ablution (wudu), but he was making his wudu incorrectly. Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (peace be upon them) were still children. They realized that the old man was not doing his wudu correctly. They wanted to correct him, but hesitated to tell him directly. Perhaps the old man would feel humiliated by two young boys correcting him, or he might even lose interest in the act of worship.
Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain (a) came up with a plan. They went to the old man and said, “My brother and I disagree over who amongst us performs wudu the best. Would you mind watching us make wudu and be the judge to see which one of us indeed performs wudu correctly? Could you please correct us wherever we are wrong?” The man watched carefully trying to judge who is better.
The boys performed their wudu under his supervision, one after the other. When they had finished, he realized the wudu done by the boys was methodical and correct and It was his own wudu which was incorrect.
The old man tearfully embraced them and said, ‘Noble children of the noblest family! Who could have pointed out my mistakes to me more affectionately and convincingly? May Allah bless you and reward you for guiding me.’
Reference:
Bihar al-anwar, Vol. 10, P 85 – Anecdotes of Pious Men, Vol. 2
image: Astan ghods razavi
