asceticism and humility of imam Hussein peace be upon him

Mas’ada narrates: One day, Imam (peace be upon him) was passing by a group of poor people. They had spread out a cloth and placed some pieces of bread on it. They asked the Imam (peace be upon him) to join them in their meal.

The Imam (peace be upon him) immediately accepted, sat with them, and ate from that bread. He then recited this verse: “Indeed, Allah does not love the arrogant.”

Afterward, he said: “I have accepted your invitation; now you must accept mine.” So they all rose and went to the Imam’s (peace be upon him) house. The Imam (peace be upon him) then instructed his servant, saying: “Bring out every good food that you have stored.”

The Imam (peace be upon him) did not hesitate or delay in accepting their invitation, and he sat with them. Then he invited them in return, saying: “Every invitation deserves a response; as I have accepted yours, you must accept mine.”

Certainly, there are special foods stored in the homes of the great for their honored guests, and the Imam (peace be upon him) asked for those foods to be served to the poor. He made it clear to them that they were esteemed in his eyes and that their poverty and need did not diminish their value to him.

Indeed, Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) in this noble character followed the example of his noble grandfather (peace be upon him), and the conduct of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the people of Suffa was the model his son followed.

During the reign of Mu’awiya and Yazid, narrators and historians could not openly recount the virtues and merits of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), and often the mere mention of such virtues could result in the death of the narrator. Therefore, the virtues and merits of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) must be sought out in various sources.

It is recorded in the book “Manaqib” that Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) made twenty-five pilgrimages on foot from Medina to Mecca for Hajj, even though he had the best mounts at his disposal.

There is a difference between someone who walks to Hajj out of poverty and someone who walks out of humility and worship of God despite having the ability to ride, and their rewards and merits will not be equal.

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “There is no act of worship greater and more difficult in the eyes of God than walking to His house.”

Perhaps by walking, the Imam (peace be upon him) was encouraging the wealthy to engage in this act of worship and follow his example. On the other hand, this act would comfort and encourage the poor, motivating them to perform this act of worship with satisfaction and enthusiasm.

This is why the Imam (peace be upon him) made twenty-five pilgrimages on foot and performed the greatest act of worship, seeking the immense reward from God.