Story of a Generous Slave narrated by Abdullah ibn Ja‘far, He was passing by a garden one day. He saw a slave gathering dates in it. He witnessed that the son of the owner of the garden came to the slave and gave him two loaves of bread, When the slave sat down to eat the loaves of bread, A dog approached the slave, and was wagging its tail, Immediately The slave threw one of the two loaves of bread in the direction of the dog; the dog rushed towards the loaf of bread and ate it but continued to wag its tail, then the slave threw the second loaf of bread to the dog as well, after which he stood and continued his work!
‘Abdullah was amazed at what he witnessed from the slave, then he approached and ask him, “O young man, how much feeding is provided to you every day?” The slave answered, “The amount that you witnessed (meaning two loaves of bread).” ‘Abdullah said, “Then why did you give all of the food to the dog?” The slave replied, Indeed we do not live in a land that is inhabited by dogs, and I knew that the only thing that led this dog here was hunger. That is why I preferred it to myself.” ‘Abdullah asked, “And what will you do for yourself today?” The slave said, “I will spend the night in hunger.”
‘Abdullah said, “The people reproach me for being too generous, and yet this young slave is more generous than me!” ‘Abdullah then went to the owner of the slave, asking to buy the slave. The owner of the slave and garden asked, “Why do you want to buy him?” ‘Abdullah informed him of what he saw from the slave, and he told the slave owner that he wanted to buy the slave in order to free him. ‘Abdullah also wanted to buy the date garden, to give it as a gift to the slave.
The owner of the slave said to ‘Abdullah, “Do you want to do all of that for him, just because of one deed? Indeed we see such wonderful deeds from him (the slave) every day! I bear witness he is free for the sake of Allah and that the garden is a gift from me to him!”
