What will you do with this vast house in this world…

Amir al-Mu’minin went to enquire about the health of his companion al-’Ala' ibn Ziyad al-Harithi and when he noticed the vastness of his house he said: What will you do with this vast house in this world, although you need this house more in the next world. If you want to take it to the next world you could entertain in it guests and be regardful of kinship and discharge all (your) obligations according to their accrual. In this way you will be able to take it to the next world. Then al-’Ala' said to him:O' Amir al-Mu’minin, I want to complain to you about my brother ‘Asim ibn Ziyad. Amir al-Mu’minin enquired:What is the matter with him? al-’Ala' said:He has put on a woollen coat and cut himself away from the world. Amir al-Mu’minin said: Present him to me. When he came Amir al-Mu’minin said:O enemy of yourself. Certainly, the evil (Satan) has misguided you. Do you feel no pity for your wife and your children? Do you believe that if you use those things which Allah has made lawful for you, He will dislike you? You are too unimportant for Allah to do so. He said:O Amir al-Mu’minin, you also put on coarse dress and eat rough food. Then he replied:Woe be to you, I am not like you. Certainly, Allah, the Sublime, has made it obligatory on true leaders that they should maintain themselves at the level of low people so that the poor do not cry over their poverty.1

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) بالبصرة، وقد دخل على العلاء بن زياد الحارثي ـ وهو من أصحابه ـ يعوده، فلما رأى سعة داره قال: مَا كُنْتَ تَصْنَعُ بِسِعَةِ هذِهِ الدارِ فِي الدُّنْيَا، أَنْتَ إِلَيْهَا فِي الاْخِرَةِ كُنْتَ أَحْوَجَ؟ وَبَلَى إِنْ شِئْتَ بَلَغْتَ بِهَا الاْخِرَةَ، تَقْرِي فِيهَا الضَّيْفَ، وَتَصِلُ فِيهَا الرَّحِمَ، وَتُطْلِعُ مِنْهَا الْحُقُوقَ مَطَالِعَهَا، فَإذَا أَنْتَ قَدْ بَلَغْتَ بِهَا الاْخِرَةَ. فقال له العلاء: يا أميرالمؤمنين، أشكو إليك أخي عاصم بن زياد. قال: وما له؟ قال: لبس العباءة وتخلّى من الدنيا. قال: عليَّ به. فلمّا جاء قال: يَا عُدَىَّ نَفْسِهِ! لَقَدِ اسْتَهَامَ بِكَ الْخَبِيثُ! أَمَا رَحِمْتَ أَهْلَكَ وَوَلَدَكَ! أَتَرَى اللهَ أَحَلَّ لَكَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ، وَهُوَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ تَأْخُذَهَا! أَنْتَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَى اللهِ مِنْ ذلِكَ! قال: يا أميرالمؤمنين، هذا أنت في خشونة ملبسك وجُشوبة مأكلك! قال: وَيْحَكَ، إِنِّي لَسْتُ كَأَنْتَ، إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى فَرَضَ عَلى أَئِمَّةِ الْعَدْلِ أَنْ يُقَدِّرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِضَعَفَةِ النَّاسِ، كَيْلاَ يَتَبَيَّغَ بِالْفَقِيرِ فَقْرُهُ!