I heard Abu Abdullah (asws) saying that a friend of Ali (asws) does not eat except for the Permissible because his Master (asws) was like that, and the friend of Usman does not care whether he eats the Permissible or the Prohibited because his master was like that’. He (the narrator) said, ‘Then he (asws) returned to the mention of Ali (asws), so he (asws) said; ‘But, by the One Who (azwj) Took his (asws) soul, he (asws) did not eat anything Prohibited in the world, be it little or a lot, until he (asws) departed from it. And there were not presented to him (asws) two matters both of them in obedience to Allah (azwj) except that he (asws) chose the more difficult one of the two for his (asws) body, and there did not descend any difficulty upon the Rasool Allah (saww) at all except that he (asws) faced it, being relied upon for it. And no one from this community can endure the deeds of the Rasool Allah (saww) after him (saww) apart from him (asws). And he (asws) would work like a man as if he could see into the Paradise and the Fire, and he (asws) had freed one thousand slaves from his (asws) wealth. All of that was from what he (asws) had worked by his (asws) own hands, making his (asws) forehead perspire for the Sake of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic, seeking to be free from the Fire. And there was no meal for him (asws) except for the vinegar and oil, and the sweetness of the dates if he (asws) could find them. And his (asws) clothing was the cotton. If he (asws) found extra in his clothes, he (asws) would call for the scissors and cut it off’.