The Way to Please Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ

Hazrat Allamah Muhibb-ud-Din Tabari رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه narrates an incident, the summary of which is as follows:

This was the era of the Caliphate of the fourth Caliph of the Muslims, Sayyiduna Mawla Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ. One day, he went to the marketplace. There, he noticed a woman standing and crying. Mawla-e-Kainat, Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, asked her the reason for her tears. She replied, “I am a bondwoman. I bought some dates from a shopkeeper for a few dirhams, but my master did not like the dates and returned them. Now the shopkeeper is refusing to take the dates back, and because of this, I am distressed.”

Sayyiduna Ali al-Murtada رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ spoke to the date seller on her behalf and said, “Take the dates back and return her dirhams. She is a bondwoman and does not have the authority to act according to her own will.” Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was extremely humble. Unlike the rulers of today, who move with full protocol and security guards, Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ had no such security. He came to the market like an ordinary person. Because of this, the date seller did not recognize him. When Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ recommended that the dates be returned, the shopkeeper, Allah forbid, pushed Sayyiduna Ali al-Murtada
رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ.

When people witnessed this scene, they said to the shopkeeper, “Do you know who have you just pushed?” He replied, “No, I do not know.” They told him, “This is Ameer-ul-Mu’minin, Sayyiduna Ali al-Murtada, the Lion of Allah Almighty.”

Hearing this, the man became terrified. He immediately took the dates back from the woman, returned her dirhams, and then presented himself before Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, humbly saying, “O noble one! I wish that you would become pleased with me.”