and he who has few, but selective, friends is as same as him who has selective pearls."
It is incumbent to help the friend who suffers an economical crisis. This is in fact one of the obligatory rights of friendship and one of the proofs of loyalty. God, in the holy Quran, praises some peoples who showed altruism:
"They give preference to them over themselves - even concerning the things that they themselves urgently need. (59:9)."
Imam al-Kadhim (a), once, asked one of his close companions: "How do you behave concerning your mutual association and relief?" The man answered: "We are in the best manner in this regard."
The Imam (a) asked: "Are you pleased when one of your needy associates come to your shop or house to take that which they need?" The man answered: "No, we are not."
The Imam (a) commented: "Now, you are not behaving as I want you to do in this regard." 522
Abu Ismaeel narrated that he told Imam al-Baqir (a) that numbers of the Shia were great. The Imam (a) said: "Do the rich ones among them act with kindness toward the poor, the good-doers overlook the evildoers, and they help each other?" I answered: "No, they do not." The Imam (a) commented: "They are not Shia. The true Shia are only those who do these acts." 523
Al-Waqidi related the following story:
The Eid day was about to come while I had no single dirham in possession. My wife, noticing this manner, asked me to do something since our children would be very depressed if they saw the other children with new clothes. Hence, I had to send a letter to my Hashemite friend asking him for help. He therefore