It is reported that on one occasion, a beggar came to Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and asked him for some money. Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) thus turned to one of his two sons, either Hazrat Hasan or Hazrat Husain (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma), and said, “Go to your mother and tell her that I said, ‘I left six dirhams with you, so send one dirham from the six.’”

The son thus went home to his mother, Hazrat Faatimah (radhiyallahu ‘anha), and conveyed his father’s message, but on returning, he did not have the dirham with him. He said to his father, Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), “My mother said that you had left the six dirhams for purchasing flour.” Hearing this, Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said, “A servant’s imaan will not become true and perfect until he has more reliance on that which is in the hand of Allah Ta‘ala compared to what he possesses (i.e. his reliance upon Allah Ta‘ala being the One who fulfills his need should be more than the reliance he has upon his wealth being the means to fulfill his need).”