occasion of Eid, I did not have anything at all to cover my expenses. They were days of immense poverty. At the time, Yahya Bin Khalid Barmaki was the ruler. Eid was drawing nearer but still we had nothing. A maid of mine came to me and said, ‘Eid is just around the corner, but we have nothing to cover our household expenses. Arrange something so that the family can also experience the happiness of Eid.’

Thus I went to a businessman friend of mine, and told him of my troubled circumstances. He immediately gave me a sealed package, which contained 1200 dirhams. I brought them home and gave them to my family members, which gave them some peace of mind that Eid would now pass happily. We hadn’t even opened the package when a friend of mine belonging to a Sayyid family came and told me that his financial situation was dire, Eid was drawing nearer, he had nothing to cover his household expenses, and asked  to borrow an amount of money if possible. I said to my wife, ‘We should lend him half of the money, and keep the other half for our own expenses.’ My wife replied, ‘When you went to your businessman friend to complain about your plight, he gave you a package containing 1200 dirhams. But now that one of the blessed offspring of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has come to you with his plight, you wish to give him only half? Does your love accept this? Go, and place the entire amount at the feet of the noble Sayyid!’ Having heard these love-filled words of my wife, I gave the entire amount to my friend, who made Du’a for us and left.

When the noble Sayyid reached his home, he was visited by the very same businessman friend of mine, who said to him, ‘I am currently experiencing financial difficulties, please lend me some money.’ Hearing this, the noble Sayyid gave my businessman friend the very same sealed package containing the amount. My businessman friend immediately recognised the package when he saw it, so came to me and asked, ‘Where is the money that I gave you?’ I told him the entire story, and he said, ‘That noble Sayyid is also my friend. I was only in possession of these 1200 dirhams that I gave to you, which you gave to the noble Sayyid, who then gave them back to me. By doing this, all three of us preferred the other over ourselves and sacrificed our happiness for the happiness of others.