Ibn Al-Jawzi wrote:
لما مات علي بن الحسين فغسلوه جعلوا ينظرون إلى آثار سود في ظهره، فقالوا: ما هذا فقالوا: كان يحمل جرب الدقيق ليلا على
ظهره يعطيه فقراء أهل المدينة
“When ‘Alee ibn al-Husayn died, they washed him and noticed a black mark on his back, so they (some of them) said: “What is this?” So they said: “He used to carry a sack of flour on his back during the night and used to distribute it to the poor and needy of the people of Madeenah.”["Sifat as-Safwah", 2/96].
