On many occasions there were people who would come to visit the Imam and would tell him that the pilgrims who went to Mecca acknowledged him as their source of emulation and were his admirers and thus wanted to pay their religious taxes to him. Therefore it was necessary that a person be sent every year to Mecca for this purpose-but he would not agree. Some wanted Haj Mustafa to be sent to Mecca but the Imam would not give his consent till one year Haj Mustafa himself proposed that I go to Mecca on behalf of the Imam and in the role of his empowered trustee to collect the religious taxes from the people. When I was received by the Imam and wanted to take his leave and bid him goodbye, he mentioned a subject that was an extremely great advice for me. The Imam stated: "In all my life, I never went after money. I want that my companions should be likewise." This was because the Imam had heard that when a businessman came, how some would pursue him or would send people after him in order to meet him and receive his religious taxes. Next he stated to me that: "I must never see you inside the caravans; it is not at all necessary for you to visit a person in the caravans because since you have the power of attorney on my behalf it is likely that some would think that you have come to calculate the people's taxes and collect their religious taxes. Only if a person comes and asks you to determine an issue, you give the answer whereas if a person wants to pay you money, then accept it and do not reject it. I will never give my consent to you for going here and there to bring money for me. Let the people make their religious payments in whatever manner that they want. You stay where you are and whoever wants to pay the taxes should himself come to you.[1]
[1]In all my life I never went after money: Ayatullah Khatami Yazdi