Almsgiving
Imam Hussain (a.s.) went to visit Usamat Ibn Ziyad who was sick and told Imam Hussain (a.s.), “Woe! I am sad!” Imam Hussain (a.s.) told him, “Why are you sad my brother?” Usamah said, “O son of Messenger of Allah (S)! I am in debt to the tune of sixty thousand dirhams. I am fearful of dying with this debt.” Imam Hussain (a.s.) said, “Do not be sad! I will pay your debt before your demise.” And he did so.
Shu’ayb Ibn Abdur Rahman says, “After Imam Hussain (a.s.) was martyred, a mark was seen on his holy shoulder. Imam Sajjad (a.s.) was asked, ‘What is this sign?’ Imam (a.s.) answered, ‘This mark is for the sac of food my father used to carry on his shoulder to feed the poor, the orphan, and the widowed.’”
It is narrated from Imam Hussain (a.s.), “This speech of Prophet Muhammad (S) that ‘The best deed after Salat (prayer) is joyfulness of the believer’s heart, provided it does not include committing a sin,’ is proved for me. One day I saw a slave who was eating along with a dog. He ate a mouthful then threw a piece for the dog. I asked him the reason. The slave answered, ‘O son of Messenger of Allah! I am very sad. I try to make this dog happy so that Allah will delight me. My master is a Jew from who I want to separate.’
Imam Hussain (a.s.) went to the slave’s master and paid two hundred dirhams to buy the slave. The Jewish man said, ‘I grant this slave to you. I grant a farm to him and pay you back your money.’ Imam Hussain (a.s.) said, ‘I accept your granting, grant all of it to the slave and free him.’ The Jewish man’s wife who witnessed all these events said, ‘I embrace Islam and forgive my dowry to my husband.’ The Jewish man said, ‘I embrace Islam too and grant my house to my wife.’”

Anas says, “I was with Imam Hussain (a.s.) when a female slave came and gave some flowers to Imam (a.s.). Imam Hussain (a.s.) told the female slave, ‘I free you in Allah’s path.’ I said, ‘O son of Messenger of Allah (S)! She gave you worthless flowers. Why did you free her?’ Imam Hussain (a.s.) stated, ‘Allah has trained us this way, ‘When a (courteous) greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy.’ Better than the flowers was freeing that slave that I did.’”
An Arab nomad went to Imam Hussain (a.s.) and said, “O son of Messenger of Allah! I have accepted a full blood-money, but cannot pay it. I thought I can ask it from the most generous person and found such a person in Prophet (S)’s Ahlul Bayt.” Imam Hussain (a.s.) said, “I ask you three questions; if you answered one of them, I will give you one third of the money you need, if you answered two questions, I will pay two third of the property, and if you answered all three questions, I will give you all of it.”
The Arab man said, “O son of Messenger of Allah! Does a noble knowledgeable character like you ask questions from someone like me?!” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Yes. I heard my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (S), who said, ‘Everyone does goodness as much as his understanding.’” The Arab man said, “Ask me! I will answer if I know and I will learn from you if I do not know. And there is no power but from Allah.” Then Imam Hussain (a.s.) asked the nomad these questions and he answered:
- What is the best deed?
- Belief in Allah.
- What is the means for delivering from the calamities?
- Reliance on Allah.
- What is human adornment?
- Knowledge that accompanies patience.
- What if it does not exist?
- Property that accompanies humanity and equanimity.
- And if this does not exist too?
- Poorness along with patience.
- And if it does not exist?
- Then a thunder should come from the heaven and fire him!
Imam Hussain (a.s.) laughed and granted the Arab man a thousand dinars. Moreover, Imam (a.s.) gave the nomad his ring, which cost two hundred dirhams and said, “Fulfill your debt with that money. Sell the ring and spend it for your life.”
The Arab nomad took them and said, “God knoweth best where (and how) to carry out His mission.Surah Al-‘An’am 6: 124.