One time, Imam An-Nawawi finally saved up enough money to buy new slippers and wore them to the masjid. Upon leaving after prayers, he couldn't find his them.
He kept searching and searching... Until he saw another man walking off with his slippers.
He walked up to man. Noticing imam An-Nawawi going after him, the man picked up the pace and walked away faster. Imam An-Nawawi began walking faster to catch up with him. The man began running.
Imam An-Nawawi said out loud, "قل قبلت" - Say, "I accept!"
The man ran even faster, and imam An-Nawawi ran as fast as he could, until he could no longer catch up.. And finally, the man got away with the slippers.
The next day, Imam An-Nawawi looked visibly upset and sad. When his students saw his condition, they consoled him, telling him "Ya Shaykh, it's okay we will get you new slippers."
He said, "I am not sad because of the slippers.
I am upset because I intended to give it to him as a gift, and all I wanted was for him to say "I accept".
So that on the day of judgment, it's counted as a gift between me and him, in the sight of Allah."
(Note: it was the Fiqh view of Imam An-Nawawi in hadiah (gift) - that it's only counted as a gift if they declared they received it from you.)
So why was he upset?
"Now I'm really sad, because Allah will question him on the day of judgment (because of stealing my slippers), and I don't want to be a means of difficulty for my brother on that Day."
SubhanAllah. Amazing. Truly, a righteous man with a big heart.
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