The Modesty of Imam Husain (a.s.)

حياء از صفات بازر حسين

صفت ديگر، حياء است در وقت عطاء، و رقت بر حال سائل از جهت ذل سؤال، چنانكه معروف است كه اعرابي سؤال نمود از آنجناب در ضمن چند شعر.لم يخب الأن من رجاك و من حرك من دون بابك الحلقةپس حضرت داخل خانه شدند و چهار هزار درهم در رداي خود بستند و از شق باب به اعرابي دادند، و فرمودند:خذها فاني اليك معتذر و اعلم بأني عليك ذو شفقةلو كان في سيرنا الغداة عصا امست سمانا عليك مندفقةلكن ريب الزمان ذو غير و الكف مني قليلة النفقةيعني: بگير اين دراهم را، و از كمي آن عذر مي‌خواهم، و بر تو مهربانم، اگر وسعتي در امر ما بود، بيشتر از اين ابر عطاي ما بر تو ريزش مي‌نمود، لكن ابناء زمان حق ما را رعايت ننمودند، و دست من از مال دنيا تهي است. [194] .و ايضا سائلي راهزار دينار يا درهم داد، پس آن شخص پولها را صرافي مي‌نمود، خازن او را گفت: مگر چيزي بما فروخته‌اي؟ گفت: آري آبروي خود را، حضرت فرمود: راست گفتي، به او بده هزار هزار هزار، يكي به جهت سؤال، و دوم به جهت آبرويت، و سوم به جهت آنكه نزد ما آمدي و پيش ديگران نرفتي.و ايضا وقتي رقعه‌اي بآن حضرت داد، حضرت فرمود: حاجت تو رواست پيش از آنكه رقعه خوانده شود، شخصي گفت: چرا رقعه را نخوانده اين كلام را فرمودي؟ فرموند: خداوند از من سؤال خواهد نمود كه چرا او را به انتظار نگاه داشتي تا رقعه را بخواني.باري در اين صفت حيا به مقامي بود كه حيا مي‌نمود از ذلت سؤال جاهلي كه [ صفحه 103] مي‌خواست او را تعليم مسئله‌ي دين نمايد، چنانكه در روايت است كه ديد آنجناب شخصي را از اعراب كه وضو را درست نمي‌گرفت، پس خواست تعليم نمايد به او، حيا كرد، پس به برادرش حضرت حسن گفت كه ما در حضور او وضو مي‌سازيم و از او سؤال مي‌كنيم كه كدام وضو بهتر است؟ چون چنين كردند آن اعرابي متنبه شد، و عرض كرد شما هر دو خوب وضو مي‌گيريد، و من جاهل بودم كه نمي‌دانستم وضو را. [195] .

The Modesty of Imam Husain (a.s.)

Another quality was modesty (ḥayāʾ) when giving, and compassion for the condition of the petitioner because of the humiliation involved in asking.

As is well known, a Bedouin asked something from him (a.s.) through a few verses of poetry:

“He who places his hope in you is never disappointed, nor is the one who moves the ring of your door.”

The Imam (a.s.) entered the house, wrapped four thousand dirhams in his cloak, and handed them to the Bedouin through the opening of the door. Then he said:

“Take this, for I apologize to you for its small amount, and know that I am compassionate toward you.

If our circumstances today had allowed, the abundant clouds of our generosity would have poured upon you.

But the turns of time are changeable, and my hand is limited in what it can spend.” [194]

Likewise, he once gave a beggar one thousand dinars (or dirhams).

The man began having the money assessed by a money-changer.

The Imam's treasurer said to him:

“Did you sell us something?”

He replied:

“Yes, I sold my honour.”

The Imam (a.s.) said:

“You have spoken the truth.”

Then he said:

“Give him another thousand, and another thousand: one because he asked, the second because of his honour, and the third because he came to us and did not go to others.”

Likewise, a man once handed a written request (ruqʿah) to the Imam (a.s.).

The Imam immediately said:

“Your need has been fulfilled,” before even reading the note.

Someone asked:

“Why did you say this before reading what was written?”

The Imam (a.s.) replied:

“Allah will question me as to why I kept him waiting until I had read his note.”

In this quality of modesty, he reached such a station that he felt embarrassed even by the humiliation of a simple, uneducated man when he wished to teach him a religious ruling.

As narrated, he (a.s.) saw a Bedouin who was not performing wuḍūʾ correctly.

He wished to teach him, but felt shy of directly correcting him.

Therefore, he said to his brother Imam Hasan (a.s.):

“Let us perform wuḍūʾ in his presence and then ask him which of our two wuḍūʾs is better.”

When they did so, the Bedouin realized his mistake and said:

“You both perform wuḍūʾ correctly. It was I who was ignorant and did not know how to perform wuḍūʾ properly.” [195]

[ صفحه 103]