Seyyid Ali Al Qazi (died in the year 1355 A.H.) is one of the great scholars of Islam who used to teach lessons of ethics in the city of Najaf. One of his students relates that he once saw the Seyyid go into a green grocer's shop. The Seyyid then started choosing some vegetables and contrary to the common behavior of most customers who always look for fresh vegetables, the Seyyid chose some stale vegetables, paid the owner and went out of the shop.

The student decided to follow him and ask the reason for this. The Seyyid when asked replied, that he knew that the owner was a poor man and the Seyyid was in the habit of helping the poor owner, but because it was not good to help someone without a reason, since it would be a cause of embarrassment, encourage laziness and the habit of begging, the Seyyid just made an excuse of buying some vegetables so that he would get a chance of helping the poor man.

"As for us it doesn't make a difference what type of vegetables we eat, particularly so when I know that nobody will buy the stale vegetables from the owner and he will incur a greater loss," the Seyyid replied. (SEEMA AL SALIHEEN PAGE 294)