Faza'il-E-Sadaqaat
Imam Hussain's devotion of over fifty thousand Dirhams to a person in need
A person once came to Imam Hussain Radhiallaho anho 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 of 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 spend for the cause of Allah, it would seem insignificant (when set against the infinite bounties of Allah to him), but I am helpless for I do not posses as much as I should give you 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 fulfill my obligation to you." The man said, "O son of Rasulullah, I shall be glad to accept whatever amount you bestow upon me, and feel grateful to you, and believe you to be incapable of giving 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 Hasan Radhiallaho anho said, "I also remember giving you five hundred Dinaars (gold-pieces)", and the treasurer said that he had them in his possession. The Imam told him to fetch the Dinaars as well, and then asked the man to fetch some porters to carry this fortune to his house. When he brought two porters, Hasan Radhiallaho anho gave him the entire fortune and as he was leaving the Imam took off his under garment and gave it to him, saying "It is also my duty to pay the wages of the laborers for carrying the money to your house, sell this garment and give the money to them as wages." At this the slaves of the Imam Radhiallaho anho said to him, "We have been left with 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," (Ihyaa) Just Imagine! The Imaam Radhiallaho anho 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.
By
Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhlawi (Rahmatullah alaihe)