Manners of the Imams in the Matters of Food and Clothes as Leaders with Divine Authority

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَعَلَنِي إِمَاماً لِخَلْقِهِ فَفَرَضَ عَلَيَّ التَّقْدِيرَ فِي نَفْسِي وَ مَطْعَمِي وَ مَشْرَبِي وَ مَلْبَسِي كَضُعَفَاءِ النَّاسِ كَيْ يَقْتَدِيَ الْفَقِيرُ بِفَقْرِي وَ لَا يُطْغِيَ الْغَنِيَّ غِنَاهُ.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from ibn Mahbub from Hammad from Humayd and Jabir al-‘Abdi who has said the following. “Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) has said, ‘Allah has appointed me the Imam for His creation, Therefore, He made it obligatory for me to discipline myself in the matters of

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَوْماً جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ ذَكَرْتُ آلَ فُلَانٍ وَ مَا هُمْ فِيهِ مِنَ النَّعِيمِ فَقُلْتُ لَوْ كَانَ هَذَا إِلَيْكُمْ لَعِشْنَا مَعَكُمْ فَقَالَ هَيْهَاتَ يَا مُعَلَّى أَمَا وَ اللَّهِ أَنْ لَوْ كَانَ ذَاكَ مَا كَانَ إِلَّا سِيَاسَةَ اللَّيْلِ وَ سِيَاحَةَ النَّهَارِ وَ لُبْسَ الْخَشِنِ وَ أَكْلَ الْجَشِبِ فَزُوِيَ ذَلِكَ عَنَّا[3] فَهَلْ رَأَيْتَ ظُلَامَةً قَطُّ صَيَّرَهَا اللَّهُ تَعَ

“One day I said to abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), may Allah take my soul in service for your cause, I thought of the descendants of so and so (‘Abbasside) and the wealth they have at their disposal. Then I wished that had such wealth been at your disposal we would have lived with you prosperously.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Never

فِي احْتِجَاجِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع عَلَى عَاصِمِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ حِينَ لَبِسَ الْعَبَاءَ وَ تَرَكَ الْمُلَاءَ وَ شَكَاهُ أَخُوهُ الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع أَنَّهُ قَدْ غَمَّ أَهْلَهُ وَ أَحْزَنَ وُلْدَهُ بِذَلِكَ فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع عَلَيَّ بِعَاصِمِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ فَجِي‌ءَ بِهِ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ عَبَسَ فِي وَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَ مَا اسْتَحْيَيْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ أَ مَا رَحِمْتَ

The Hadith is about the protest of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) against ‘Asim ibn Ziyad who had confined himself in a gown away from the people. His brother, al-Rabi‘ ibn Ziyad complained before Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) complained that his ‘Asim’s family had become depressed and his sons had been sadden because of his behavi

حَضَرْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ ذَكَرْتَ أَنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع كَانَ يَلْبَسُ الْخَشِنَ يَلْبَسُ الْقَمِيصَ بِأَرْبَعَةِ دَرَاهِمَ وَ مَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ وَ نَرَى عَلَيْكَ اللِّبَاسَ الْجَدِيدَ فَقَالَ لَهُ إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع كَانَ يَلْبَسُ ذَلِكَ فِي زَمَانٍ لَا يُنْكَرُ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَوْ لَبِسَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ شُهِرَ بِهِ فَخَيْرُ لِبَاسِ ك

“I was in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) that a man said to him, “May Allah grant you well being, you have mentioned that Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) would wear harsh garments. He would buy a shirt worth four Dirhams only and so on. However, we see that you have new garments.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Ali ibn abu Tali