Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) — Mas'ada ibn Sadaqa said: Sufyan al-Thawri came to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) and saw that he was wearing a white garment like the membrane of an egg. He said, "Sir, you should not wear such a garment." He (peace be upon him) said: "Listen to what I say and remember my words, for it is better for you in this world and the next, so that you may die upon the religion of Islam and the Sunnah of the Prophet, and not leave this world without faith. The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) lived in a time of poverty and hardship; but when the world came forward and blessings became abundant, the most deserving people to make use of these blessings are the pure ones, the righteous, and the believers — not the disbelievers, the hypocrites, and the wrongdoers. O Thawri, this garment which you find objectionable — with this very kind of clothing, from the time I can remember, no morning has passed into evening for me without my having discharged, in the place Allah commanded me to spend it, every right that Allah has in my property." Then a group who shared Sufyan al-Thawri's view — those who outwardly displayed asceticism and called people to join them in wearing coarse wool — came and said: "Our friend was unable to answer you and was helpless in bringing proof." He (peace be upon him) said: "Bring your proofs then." They said: "Our proof is from the Quran." He said: "Present your argument. The Quran is the most worthy programme to be acted upon." They said: "Allah reports about a group of the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) companions: وَ یُؤْثِرُونَ عَلی أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَ لَوْ کانَ بِهِمْ خَصاصَةٌ وَ مَنْ یُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولئِکَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ [and they prefer (others) over themselves, though poverty may afflict them, and whoever is preserved from the niggardliness of his soul, these it is that are the successful ones]. Allah praises this group for giving others precedence over themselves. And in another verse He says: 'And they give food, in spite of their love [and need] for it, to the "poor," the "orphan," and the "captive."' (al-Insan/8)." They said: "We are content with these two verses." One of those present said: "We see that you abstain from delicious foods, and along with this you order people to give up their wealth so that you yourselves may benefit from their riches." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Leave aside talk that brings you no benefit. Now tell me — are you aware of the abrogating and abrogated verses of the Quran, and do you know the clear (muhkam) from the ambiguous (mutashabih)? For whoever went astray did so because he did not have proper knowledge of the abrogating and abrogated and the clear and the ambiguous." They said: "We do not have knowledge of all of it, but we know some of the abrogating and abrogated and the clear and the ambiguous." He said: "It is from this very point that you have fallen into trouble. The hadiths of the Prophet are of the same nature. As for the verse you cited — that Allah praises a group for their good conduct — that action was permissible and allowed, and they had not been forbidden from it, and Allah will give them their reward. But afterwards a command was given contrary to their action. Allah's command abrogates their action, and this prohibition from Allah was out of mercy for the believers and consideration for them, so that they would not put themselves and their families into hardship by helping others. Among these families are weak infants, small children, decrepit old men, and aged women who cannot bear hunger. If I give away the very loaf of bread I have to others — when I have no other bread — they will perish and die of hunger. For this reason the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Five dates, or five loaves of bread, or five dirhams that a person has and wishes to spend — the best of them is what he spends on his father and mother; then, secondly, on himself and his family; then, thirdly, what he gives to his poor relatives; then, fourthly, to his poor neighbours; then, fifthly, what he spends in the way of Allah, and this last has the least reward of all.' And the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to that Ansari man who at the time of his death freed five or six of his slaves and had nothing else, while he had several small children: 'Had you informed me, I would not have let you bury him in the Muslims' graveyard. He is leaving behind small children who will have to beg from people.'"