Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

Xli ibn Abi Tilib 455
(&) gave a great deal of attention to checking on and inspecting the
marketplace. It was narrated from al-Hum ihn Jarmooz al-Muridi that
his father said: "I saw 'Ali ihn Abi T2ih (&) ,., come out of the palace
wearing two striped garments; his lower garment came to mid-calf
and his upper garment was wrapped tightly around him. He was
carrying his stick and walking about in the marketplace, enjoining
them to fear Allah (&) and he honest in dealing. He said: 'Give just
measure, and do not take out the marrow from hones when selling
meat."'477
It was narrated that Abu Marar said: "I came out of the mosque
and heard a man calling out from behind me: 'Lift up your lower
garment, for that is cleaner for your garment and more pleasing to
your Lord, and cut your hair if you are a Muslim.' I walked behind
him, he was wearing the waist wrapper and an upper gamient on his
shoulders, and he was carrying a stick, as if he were a Bedouin of the
desert. I said: 'Who is this?' A man said to me: 'You must be a
stranger in this city.' I said: 'Yes, I am from Basra.' He said: 'This is
'Ali ibn Abi Tilib, Amir al-Mu'mineen.' When he reached the place
of Ibn Ahi Ma'eet, he saw him driving his camels and said: 'Sell, and
do not swear an oath, for an oath may cause an item to be sold, but it
erases the blessing.' Then he went to the date sellers and saw a female
servant weeping. He said: 'Why are you weeping?' She said: 'This
man sold me some dates for a dirham, hut my master refused to
accept them.' 'Ali(4)
said to him: 'Take your dates and give her a
dirham, for she has nothing to do with it.' And he gave her the
dirham. I said: 'Do you know who this is?' He said: 'No.' I said:
'This is 'Ali ibn Ahi Tilib, Amir al-Mu'mineen.' So she gave back
the dates, and he gave her a dirham. Then the man said: 'I would like
you to he pleased with me, 0 Amir al-Mu'mineen.' He said: 'Why
should I be pleased with you if you give people their dues (because
there should he nothing special about that)?' Then he passed by the
date sellers and said: '0 date sellers, feed the poor, and your earnings