Who Is Most Generous?

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem.

Subhanallah! These stories always make me smile every time I read them. They transport me back to the past make me forget the fact that i'm living in the present. ^_^ Here's another beautiful story I came across.

Haitham bin 'Adi related that three people got into an argument beside the Ka'abah; they couldn't agree as to who was the most generous person of their era. The first claimed that it was 'Abdullah bin ja'afar; the second said it was Qais bin Sa'd; and the third said it was Arabah Al-Aousah. When their argument became more intense and when their voices were raised to the level of shouting, a man said to them, "Why does not not each of you go to his companion and see what he will give to him, and through that test a correct judgement can be arrived at." The first man went to Ibn Ja'far and said, "O son of the cousin of the Messenger of Allah, I am a traveler who has run out of resources and who has no means by which to continue his journey." At that moment, Ibn Ja'far was on his mount; he descended from it, and said, "Climb it, for it is yours, and all that is on it is yours also. Take what is in the bag and do not betray the sword, for it once belonged to 'Ali." The man returned with the camel to his companions, and they found 4000 dinars in it and other things as well, and most excellent of all, the sword of 'Ali. The second man then went to Qais bin sa'd, and he found him to be sleeping. However, his female slave was there and she asked, "What do you need from him?" He said, " I am a traveler who has run out of resources and who has no means to continue his journey." She said, "What you need is easier than waking him up. Here is a bag, and in it is 700 dinars; there is nothing else in this house. But go to the stables and take for yourself one camel and one slave." Sa'd later said, "You should have woken me up, so that I could have given him thst which was sufficient for hum" Yet he was so pleased with what his female servant did that he freed her. The third man went to 'Arabah Al-Aousah, and when he reached him he found him to be leaving his house, heading in the direction of the mosque for prayer. He was leaning upon two slaves because he was blind. The man said to him, "O 'Arabah." He said, "Speak." He said, "I am a traveler who has run out of resources and who has no means by which to continue his journey." 'Arabah said, "...Take these two slaves." He said, "I will not do so." 'Arabah said, "If you do jot take them, then I will free them in any case. If you wish, I will free them; and if you wish, you may take them." After being without the two slaves, 'Arabah continued to find his way by leaning on the wall. The man returned with the slaves to the other men; the deeds of all three were praised, yet they decided that the most generous of them was 'Arabah Al-Aousah, for he gave all that he owned.

MASHA ALLAH! ^_^ ♥ ♥ ♥