434 — Abū Abd Allah al-Ijlī said: Yūnus ibn Bukayr narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Ishāq narrated to us: Salama ibn Abd Allah ibn Umar ibn Abī Salama narrated to us, saying: A foster father of ours told me:

“I came to Dhū al-Marwa with twenty or thirty camels of mine, seeking a supply of dates. I was told, ‘Amr ibn Uthmān is on his estate, and al-Husayn ibn Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—is on his estate.’ I went to Amr ibn Uthmān, and he ordered that two of my camels be loaded for me. Someone then said to me, ‘Woe to you! Go to al-Husayn ibn Alī.’

“I went to him, though I did not know what he looked like. There was a man sitting on the ground with his slaves around him. Before him stood a huge bowl containing coarse bread and meat; he was eating, and they were eating with him. I greeted him and thought, ‘By Allah, I do not expect this man to give me anything.’ He said, ‘Come and eat.’ So I ate with him.

“He then went over to the watercourse and drank from it with his hand, after which he washed both hands and asked, ‘What do you need?’ I replied, ‘May Allah preserve you! I have come with some camels of mine, seeking a supply from this village. I was told about you, so I came hoping that you would give me some of what Allah has given you.’

“He said, ‘Go and bring me your camels.’ I brought them, and he said, ‘Here is this date-drying yard; load them to capacity with these dates.’ By Allah, I loaded them with as much as they could carry. Then I departed, saying, ‘May my father and mother be your ransom! This, by Allah, is true generosity!’”