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أَصَابَ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ غَلَاءٌ وَ قَحْطٌ حَتَّى أَقْبَلَ الرَّجُلُ الْمُوسِرُ يَخْلِطُ الْحِنْطَةَ بِالشَّعِيرِ وَ يَأْكُلُهُ وَ يَشْتَرِي بِبَعْضِ الطَّعَامِ وَ كَانَ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع طَعَامٌ جَيِّدٌ قَدِ اشْتَرَاهُ أَوَّلَ السَّنَةِ فَقَالَ لِبَعْضِ مَوَالِيهِ اشْتَرِ لَنَا شَعِيراً فَاخْلِطْ بِهَذَا الطَّعَامِ أَوْ بِعْهُ فَإِنَّا نَكْرَهُ أَنْ نَأْكُلَ جَيِّداً وَ يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ رَدِيّاً[1].

“Once shortages of food took place in al-Madinah and even affluent people would mix wheat and barley for food and buy only a small amount of food. Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), had a good quality of food which he had purchased earlier in the beginning of the year. He (the Imam) then asked one of his agents to buy a certain a

قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ قَدْ تَزَيَّدَ السِّعْرُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ كَمْ عِنْدَنَا مِنْ طَعَامٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ عِنْدَنَا مَا يَكْفِيكَ أَشْهُراً كَثِيرَةً قَالَ أَخْرِجْهُ وَ بِعْهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ وَ لَيْسَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ طَعَامٌ قَالَ بِعْهُ فَلَمَّا بِعْتُهُ قَالَ اشْتَرِ مَعَ النَّاسِ يَوْماً بِيَوْمٍ وَ قَالَ يَا مُعَتِّبُ اجْعَلْ قُوتَ عِيَالِي نِصْفاً شَعِيراً وَ نِصْفاً حِنْطَةً فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once, when food prices were rising, asked me, ‘How much food do we have?’ I (the narrator) replied, ‘There is enough food for several months.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Take it out to sell.’ I (the narrator) I said, ‘There is not enough food in al-Madinah.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You must sell it.’ Whe

كَانَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع يَأْمُرُنَا إِذَا أَدْرَكَتِ الثَّمَرَةُ أَنْ نُخْرِجَهَا فَنَبِيعَهَا وَ نَشْتَرِيَ مَعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَوْماً بِيَوْمٍ.

“Abu al-Hassan ‘Alayhi al-Salam, would command, at the time of harvest of fruit, to take them out and sell and then buy every day as Muslim people do.”