Hadith 117

He-asws had held a hand of his employee and a container of leaves, and his-asws brush, and went to work in a plantation in a well of Al-Malik, and it was a well of Yanbu, named as ‘the well of Malik’. Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws excavated it and planted the palm tree at it. So, this is from his-asws justice among the citizens and his-asws distribution with the fairness’. Ibn Da’ib said, ‘We said, ‘So, what is the lowest (quality) food of the citizens? ’ He said, ‘The people are narrating that he-asws used to feed the bread and the meat (to others), and he-asws used to eat the barley and the oil (himself), and he-asws would end his-asws meal fearing that he-asws mighty increase in (eating) it. And he-asws heard frying in his-asws house, so he-asws got up and he-asws was saying in condemnation: ‘Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws is frying delicacies! ’
He (the narrator) said, ‘His-asws dependants were alarmed and they said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineen-asws! It is your-asws so and so wife. Camels were slaughtered in her neighbourhood, so a share from it was taken for her and her family have gifted to her’. He-asws said: ‘Then eat welcomingly wholesomely’. He (the narrator) said, ‘It is said that he-asws did not complain (of any pain) except complaint of the (pain of) death, and rather he-asws feared that a gift may come from one of the citizens, and acceptance of a gift by a Muslim ruler is a crime to the Muslims’. He (the narrator) said, ‘It was said, ‘(What about) the strictness (in the war)? ’ He said, ‘He-asws left from his-asws was and the camp was in Al-Nukheyla, and the people left to go to their house, and they (soldiers) sought his-asws permission. They said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineen-asws! Our swords have become few and the blades of our spears are ineffective. Permit for us to leave so we can return having improved our equipment (armaments)’. And he-asws stayed at Al-Nukheyla, and he-asws said: ‘A companion of the war does not sleep, the one who does not complain of the vigil of his night, and thirst of his day, nor does he miss his wives and his children’. The ones who left did not return to him-asws nor were the ones who stayed were steadfast with him-asws among his-asws soldiers. When he-asws saw that he-asws entered Al-Kufa and ascended the pulpit. He-asws said: ‘You are for Allah-azwj! You are not except as the mountain lions in the calling, and deceptive foxes. You are not with a corner to be pounced upon, nor with traces one can shelter to. O you all united in bodies and divided of opinions! How lonely is the call of the one calling you, nor can a heart be at rest from your march whichever leader (to come) after me-asws you will be fighting with, and whichever house is there after your house are you wishing for! ’ It happened at the end of his-asws war, severe regret and rage, and the people had abandoned him-asws’. He said, ‘So what about the memory? ’ He said, ‘It is which the Arabs are calling the intellect. Rasool-Allah-saww had not informed him-asws with anything at all except he-asws had memorised it, nor was any Revealed unto him-saww at all, except he-asws retained it, nor did anything of the marvels of the sky descend at all to the earth, except he-asws asked about it, to the extent that it was Revealed regarding him-asws