My master said to him: "Then go on your way." The Minister returned to the King and informed him of what had passed between us. The King ordered him to return to us and ask us to travel to his presence and bring the jewel with us. He traveled to us and asked that, and we answered him and hastened to him.

When we came to him and greeted him, he ordered our approach. We were brought near to him, and he seated us close and asked about our names and homelands. We informed him that we were from Kufa. He said to us: "Are you of the Shi‘a or of the blind Nasiba?" My master said to him: "Rather, of the verifying Knowers."

The King said to him: "How did you dare, O Shi‘a, to relate from Amir Al-muminin that he said: 'Whoever loves us, the People of the House, let him prepare a cloak for poverty,' while you know that he said: 'Poverty is a chronic disease'? If you intended by your narration of this report not to spread the faith and to prevent the Nawasib from his love—well, the love of Amir Al-muminin does not drag disease to his lovers; rather, chronic disease is dragged to the hater of Amir Al-muminin."

And the Messenger of Allah said: "There is no one of the Shi‘a of Ali who has a chronic disease but that a medicine is found for him."

My master said to him: "O King, this is a report that has been distorted. It is only:

Amir Al-muminin said: Whoever loves us, let him prepare us as a cloak for the day of his poverty."

"Furthermore, poverty is of several types. Among them is that every seeker is poor. Allah said: “O people, you are the poor in relation to Allah, and Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy”¹."