Simplicity

left to find work. In the suburbs of Madina an old lady hired him to water her fields in exchange of just a handful of dates. The king of Faqr and such modesty! Indeed, his inward was repleted with the treasure of piety, abstinence, contentment and patience.

SIMPLICITY

The lifestyle of Ali ibn Abi Talib was very simple. Every aspect of his life was a sample of simplicity, be it dressing, food or living style. He took very less and simple food. Often he was satiated with a few chunks of barley bread. Sometimes he consumed dry pieces of bread dipping them in water and was often seen eating barley bread with salt only. Once his daughter brought him barley bread, a bowl of milk and salt. Ali returned the bowl of milk saying that barley bread and salt were sufficient. Sometimes eating merely a few dates was enough for Ali. Once someone presented him with a bowl of Faluda40, Ali gazed at it for a few moments and then said: “You smell good, look appealing and taste delicious but I do not want to become habituated to you.” During his caliphate, a bedouin once came to his house for financial aid. Ali was not home so Hasan welcomed him and presented lavish food. Meanwhile, Ali also arrived and started eating his meal in the courtyard of the mosque. The bedouin witnessed that a man was eating dry pieces of bread dipping them in water. He said to Hasan, “I do not like that I consume lavish food while the man over there eats dry bread dipped in water. Please invite him to have meal with me.” Hasan replied with teary eyes, “Please you have the meal, he will not join you. He is my father Ali, Leader of the Believers.” After meal when the bedouin was sent to meet Ali, he aided him fully and the man left pleased.

40 A sweet creamy beverage with vermicelli.