A Pomegranate for the Ill
A story of Kindness and altruism

Fatima Al-Zahra became ill one day, so Imam Ali asked her: "O’ Fatima what sweetness of this life does your heart desire?” She replied: “ O’ Ali I crave a pomegranate.” He was kept in thought for an hour for he had nothing. He then went to the market, burrowed one durham and bought the fruit that his beloved wife desired. On his way back he saw an ill (ailing) man laying in the middle of the road, and so he stopped and asked: What does your heart desire O’ old man?” “O’ Ali for five days I have been laying on this road and not one person turned to me, my heart desires a pomegranate.”
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The imam thought to himself and said: “I have bought one pomegranate for Fatima, and if I handed it to the needy Fatima would be deprived of it; but if I don’t give it to the needy I’d be disobeying God’s words And as for the petitioner, do not repel [him] 93:10.​
وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ
As well as the Prophet’s words 'Do not return the petitioner even if he was on a horse.'”
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He split the pomegranate in half and fed the old man, whom was cured in an hour and so was Lady Fatima. Imam Ali reached his home embarrassed. When Lady Fatima saw him she hugged him to her chest and told him: “Why are you troubled? By the mercy and greatness of God when you fed the pomegranate to the old man the desire of the fruit was lifted from my heart.” Imam Ali was pleased.
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A man then came and knocked at the door the imam asked who the visiter was. “ I am Salman Al-Farsi, open the door”. Imam Ali opened the door to find Salman holding a plate covered with a napkin. Salman placed the plate in imam Ali’s hands, “ From who is this plate O’ Salman?’’ “From God to his prophet, and from the prophet to you.” Imam Ali unveiled the plate to find nine pomegranates and said: “ O’ Salman if this was for me there would have been ten as God said Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof [to his credit] (6:160)
مَن جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا
Salman chuckled and took out  the tenth pomegranate from his sleeve and said: “O’ Ali I swear they were ten but I wanted to test you.”
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