Book of Livelihood
Chapter on Livelihoods, Earnings, Profits, and Professions
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ سَدِيرٍ اَلصَّيْرَفِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ حَدِيثٌ بَلَغَنِي عَنِ اَلْحَسَنِ اَلْبَصْرِيِّ فَإِنْ كَانَ حَقّاً فَ "إِنّٰا لِلّٰهِ وَ إِنّٰا إِلَيْهِ رٰاجِعُونَ" قَالَ "وَ مَا هُوَ" قُلْتُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ اَلْحَسَنَ كَانَ يَقُولُ لَوْ غَلَى دِمَاغُهُ مِنْ حَرِّ اَلشَّمْسِ مَا اِسْتَظَلَّ بِحَائِطِ صَيْرَفِيٍّ وَ لَوْ تَفَرَّثَتْ كَبِدُهُ مَاءً وَ هُوَ عَمَلِي وَ تِجَارَتِي وَ عَلَيْهِ نَبَتَ لَحْمِي وَ دَمِي وَ مِنْهُ حَجَّتِي وَ عُمْرَتِي قَالَ فَجَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ ثُمَّ قَالَ "كَذَبَ اَلْحَسَنُ خُذْ سَوَاءً وَ أَعْطِ سَوَاءً فَإِذَا حَضَرَتِ اَلصَّلاَةُ فَدَعْ مَا بِيَدِكَ وَ اِنْهَضْ إِلَى اَلصَّلاَةِ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ اَلْكَهْفِ كَانُوا صَيَارِفَةً ".
Sadir al-Sayrafi narrated: I said to Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s): "A report has reached me about Hasan al-Basri, and if it is true, then 'Indeed, we belong to Allah (swt) and to Him we shall return.'" Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) asked: "What is it?" I said: "I have heard that Hasan used to say, 'If my head boiled from the heat of the sun, I would not seek shade under the wall of a moneychanger, and if my liver dried up from thirst, I would not drink water earned through trade. Yet, this (trade) is my occupation, my business, and by it my flesh and blood have grown, and from it, I performed my Hajj and Umrah.'" Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) then sat up and said: "Hasan has lied! Take what is fair and give what is fair, and when the time for prayer arrives, leave what is in your hands and rise for prayer. Do you not know that the companions of the cave (Ashab al-Kahf) were moneychangers?"
وَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ: "وَيْلٌ لِتُجَّارِ أُمَّتِي مِنْ لاَ وَ اَللَّهِ وَ بَلَى وَ اَللَّهِ وَ وَيْلٌ لِصُنَّاعِ أُمَّتِي مِنَ اَلْيَوْمِ وَ غَدٍ ".
The Messenger of Allah (swt), peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: "Woe to the merchants of my nation because of (their frequent oaths) 'No, by Allah (swt)' and 'Yes, by Allah (swt).' And woe to the craftsmen of my nation because of (their worries about) today and tomorrow."
وَ رَوَى عَمْرُو بْنُ شِمْرٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: قَالَ "اِحْتَجَمَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ حَجَمَهُ مَوْلًى لِبَنِي بَيَاضَةَ وَ أَعْطَاهُ وَ لَوْ كَانَ حَرَاماً مَا أَعْطَاهُ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ "أَيْنَ اَلدَّمُ" قَالَ شَرِبْتُهُ يَا رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ فَقَالَ "مَا كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَكَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَهُ وَ قَدْ جَعَلَهُ اَللَّهُ لَكَ حِجَاباً مِنَ اَلنَّارِ" ".
Imam Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), narrated through Jabir from Amr ibn Shimr: "The Messenger of Allah (swt), peace and blessings be upon him and his family, underwent cupping. A servant from the tribe of Banu Bayadah performed the cupping, and the Prophet (saws) gave him payment. If it were prohibited, he would not have given him payment. When the procedure was completed, the Messenger of Allah (swt), peace and blessings be upon him and his family, asked him: 'Where is the blood?' The servant replied: 'I drank it, O Messenger of Allah (swt).' The Prophet said: 'You should not have done that, but Allah (swt) has made it a barrier for you against the Fire.'"
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِيهِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اَلنُّثَارِ مِنَ اَلسُّكَّرِ وَ اَللَّوْزِ وَ أَشْبَاهِهِ أَ يَحِلُّ أَكْلُهُ فَقَالَ "يُكْرَهُ كُلُّ مَالٍ يُنْتَهَبُ".
It is narrated from Ali ibn Ja'far, from his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (a.s), who said: "I asked him about scattered treats such as sugar, almonds, and similar items-whether it is permissible to eat them. Imam (a.s) replied: 'It is disliked to consume anything that is seized unlawfully.'"
وَ رَوَى عَمْرُو بْنُ شِمْرٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "لَمَّا أَنْزَلَ اَللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى: إِنَّمَا اَلْخَمْرُ وَ اَلْمَيْسِرُ وَ اَلْأَنْصٰابُ وَ اَلْأَزْلاٰمُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ اَلشَّيْطٰانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ مَا اَلْمَيْسِرُ قَالَ "كُلُّ مَا تُقُومِرَ بِهِ حَتَّى اَلْكِعَابُ وَ اَلْجَوْزُ، " قِيلَ فَمَا اَلْأَنْصَابُ قَالَ "مَا ذَبَحُوا لآِلِهَتِهِمْ " قِيلَ فَمَا اَلْأَزْلاَمُ قَالَ "قِدَاحُهُمُ اَلَّتِي يَسْتَقْسِمُونَ بِهَا " ".
It is narrated from Amr ibn Shimr, from Jabir, from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), who said: "When Allah (swt), the Blessed and Exalted, revealed the verse: 'Indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah (swt)], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid them' (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:90). The people asked: 'O Messenger of Allah (swt), what is gambling (maysir)?' He (saws) replied: 'Everything that involves betting, even dice and walnuts.' They asked: 'What are the stone alters (ansab)?' He (saws) said: 'They are the sacrifices offered to their idols.' They asked: 'What are the divining arrows (azlam)?' He (saws) said: 'They are their arrows used for seeking decisions or division.'"
وَ رَوَى اَلسَّكُونِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ: أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَنْهَى عَنِ اَلْجَوْزِ اَلَّذِي يَجِيءُ بِهِ اَلصِّبْيَانُ مِنَ اَلْقِمَارِ أَنْ يُؤْكَلَ وَ قَالَ هُوَ سُحْتٌ.
It is narrated from Al-Sakuni, from Abu Abdillah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) from his father, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) that: "He (a.s) used to forbid eating the walnuts that children bring from gambling, and He (a.s) said it is unlawful (suht)."
وَ رَوَى أَيُّوبُ بْنُ اَلْحُرِّ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "لاَ بَأْسَ بِأَجْرِ اَلنَّائِحَةِ اَلَّتِي تَنُوحُ عَلَى اَلْمَيِّتِ وَ أَجْرِ اَلْمُغَنِّيَةِ اَلَّتِي تَزُفُّ اَلْعَرَائِسَ لَيْسَ بِهِ بَأْسٌ وَ لَيْسَتْ بِالَّتِي يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا اَلرِّجَالُ ".
It is narrated from Ayyub ibn Al-Hurr, from Abu Basir, from Abu Abdillah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) from his father, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), who said: "There is no harm in the payment for a wailing woman who mourns the deceased, and the payment for a singer who escorts brides; there is no harm in it, as long as she is not someone whom men enter upon."
وَ رَوَى أَبَانُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "أَرْبَعٌ لاَ تَجُوزُ فِي أَرْبَعَةٍ اَلْخِيَانَةُ وَ اَلْغُلُولُ وَ اَلسَّرِقَةُ وَ اَلرِّبَا لاَ يَجُزْنَ فِي حَجٍّ وَ لاَ عُمْرَةٍ وَ لاَ جِهَادٍ وَ لاَ صَدَقَةٍ".
It is narrated from Aban ibn Uthman, from Abu Abdullah (a.s), who said: "Four things are not permissible in four situations: treachery, embezzlement, theft, and usury. They are not permissible in Hajj, Umrah, Jihad, or charity."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "لاَ بَأْسَ بِكَسْبِ اَلْمَاشِطَةِ إِذَا لَمْ تُشَارِطْ وَ قَبِلَتْ مَا تُعْطَى وَ لاَ تَصِلُ شَعْرَ اَلْمَرْأَةِ بِشَعْرِ اِمْرَأَةٍ غَيْرِهَا فَأَمَّا شَعْرُ اَلْمَعْزِ فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِأَنْ يُوصَلَ بِشَعْرِ اَلْمَرْأَةِ وَ لاَ بَأْسَ بِكَسْبِ اَلنَّائِحَةِ إِذَا قَالَتْ صِدْقاً ".
Imam (a.s) said: "There is no harm in the earnings of a hairdresser if she does not stipulate a specific payment and accepts what is given to her. However, she should not attach the hair of one woman to the hair of another woman. As for the hair of goats, there is no harm in attaching it to a woman's hair. Also, there is no harm in the earnings of a mourner if she speaks the truth."
وَ رُوِيَ "أَنَّهَا تَسْتَحِلُّهُ بِضَرْبِ إِحْدَى يَدَيْهَا عَلَى اَلْأُخْرَى ".
It is narrated: "She makes it permissible by striking one of her hands against the other."
