Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

وَ كَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ اَلْحَسَنِ اَلصَّفَّارُ رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهُ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ اَلْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ: رَجُلٌ يُبَذْرِقُ اَلْقَوَافِلَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَمْرِ اَلسُّلْطَانِ فِي مَوْضِعٍ مُخِيفٍ وَ يُشَارِطُونَهُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مُسَمًّى أَ لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَهُ مِنْهُمْ أَمْ لاَ فَوَقَّعَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ "إِذَا آجَرَ نَفْسَهُ بِشَيْءٍ مَعْرُوفٍ أَخَذَ حَقَّهُ إِنْ شَاءَ اَللَّهُ".

Muhammad bin Al-Hasan Al-Saffar, may Allah (swt) be pleased with him, wrote to Imam Abu Muhammad Al-Hasan bin Ali (a.s) asking: "A man escorts caravans without the order of the ruler in a fearful place, and they agree with him on a specific payment. Is it permissible for him to take it from them or not?" Imam (a.s) said: "If he hires himself out for a well-known payment, he may take his due, Allah (swt) willing."

وَ كَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ اَلْيَقْطِينِيُّ إِلَى أَبِي اَلْحَسَنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ اَلْعَسْكَرِيِّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: فِي رَجُلٍ دَفَعَ اِبْنَهُ إِلَى رَجُلٍ وَ سَلَّمَهُ مِنْهُ سَنَةً بِأُجْرَةٍ مَعْلُومَةٍ لِيَخِيطَ لَهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَقَالَ لَهُ سَلِّمْ اِبْنَكَ مِنِّي سَنَةً بِزِيَادَةٍ هَلْ لَهُ اَلْخِيَارُ فِي ذَلِكَ وَ هَلْ يَجُوزُ لَهُ أَنْ يَفْسَخَ مَا وَافَقَ عَلَيْهِ اَلْأَوَّلُ أَمْ لاَ فَكَتَبَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ بِخَطِّهِ "يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ اَلْوَفَاءُ لِلْأَوَّلِ مَا لَمْ يَعْرِضْ لاِبْنِهِ مَرَضٌ أَوْ ضَعْفٌ".

Muhammad bin Isa bin Ubaid Al-Yaqtini wrote to Abu Al-Hasan Imam Ali bin Muhammad Al-Askari (a.s), asking: "A man entrusted his son to another man and handed him over for a year with a known wage to sew for him. Then another man came and said to him, 'Hand over your son to me for a year with an increased wage.' Does he have the choice in this matter, and is it permissible for him to revoke the agreement made with the first man or not?" Imam (a.s) replied in his handwriting: 'He must fulfill the agreement with the first man unless his son faces illness or weakness.'

وَ رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ اَلْبَرْقِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اَلْإِجَارَةِ فَقَالَ "صَالِحٌ لاَ بَأْسَ بِهَا إِذَا نَصَحَ قَدْرَ طَاقَتِهِ قَدْ آجَرَ نَفْسَهُ مُوسَى بْنُ عِمْرَانَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ وَ اِشْتَرَطَ قَالَ إِنْ شِئْتُ ثَمَانِياً وَ إِنْ شِئْتُ عَشْراً فَأَنْزَلَ اَللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِيهِ عَلىٰ أَنْ تَأْجُرَنِي ثَمٰانِيَ حِجَجٍ فَإِنْ أَتْمَمْتَ عَشْراً فَمِنْ عِنْدِكَ ".

Muhammad bin Khalid Al-Barqi narrated from Muhammad bin Sinan, who narrated from Abu Al-Hasan (a.s) that he said: I asked him about hiring (employment). Imam (a.s) said: 'It is permissible and there is no harm in it as long as one does it sincerely and to the best of his ability. Indeed, Musa bin Imran (a.s) hired himself out and stipulated: "If you wish, for eight years, and if you wish, for ten years." Then Allah (swt), the Exalted, revealed regarding him: That you serve me for eight years, but if you complete ten, it will be of your own accord.'' (Surah Al-Qasas 28:27)

وَ رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَبِي اَلْمِقْدَامِ عَنْ عَمَّارٍ اَلسَّابَاطِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ اَلرَّجُلُ يَتَّجِرُ وَ إِنْ هُوَ آجَرَ نَفْسَهُ أُعْطِيَ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا يُصِيبُ فِي تِجَارَتِهِ قَالَ "لاَ يُؤَاجِرْ نَفْسَهُ وَ لَكِنْ يَسْتَرْزِقُ اَللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَ يَتَّجِرُ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا آجَرَ نَفْسَهُ حَظَرَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ اَلرِّزْقَ".

Muhammad bin Amr bin Abi Al-Miqdam narrated from Ammar Al-Sabati, who said: I asked Abu Abdullah (a.s), about a man who trades but, if he hires himself out, earns more than he does in his trade. Imam (a.s) said: 'He should not hire himself out but rather seek sustenance from Allah (swt), the Exalted, and continue trading. For if he hires himself out, he will restrict his sustenance.'

وَ رَوَى عَبْدُ اَللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ اَلْجُعْفِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "مَنْ آجَرَ نَفْسَهُ فَقَدْ حَظَرَ عَلَيْهَا اَلرِّزْقَ وَ كَيْفَ لاَ يَحْظُرُ عَلَيْهَا اَلرِّزْقَ وَ مَا أَصَابَ فَهُوَ لِرَبٍّ آجَرَهُ".

Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Ju'fi narrated from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), who said: 'Whoever hires himself out has restricted his sustenance. And how could he not restrict his sustenance when whatever he earns belongs to the master who hired him?'

وَ رَوَى هَارُونُ بْنُ حَمْزَةَ اَلْغَنَوِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ اِسْتَأْجَرَ أَجِيراً فَلَمْ يَأْمَنْ أَحَدُهُمَا صَاحِبَهُ فَوَضَعَ اَلْأَجْرَ عَلَى يَدَيْ رَجُلٍ فَهَلَكَ ذَلِكَ اَلرَّجُلُ وَ لَمْ يَدَعْ وَفَاءً وَ اُسْتُهْلِكَ اَلْأَجْرُ فَقَالَ "اَلْمُسْتَأْجِرُ ضَامِنٌ لِأَجْرِ اَلْأَجِيرِ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ اَلْأَجِيرُ دَعَاهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ فَرَضِيَ بِهِ فَإِنْ فَعَلَ فَحَقُّهُ حَيْثُ وَضَعَهُ وَ رَضِيَ بِهِ".

Harun bin Hamzah Al-Ghanawi narrated from Abu Abdullah (a.s), who said: I asked him about a man who hired a laborer, but neither of them trusted the other, so they deposited the wages with a third person. Then that third person died without leaving anything to cover the wages, and the wages were lost. Imam (a.s) said: 'The employer is responsible for the wages of the laborer until they are settled, unless the laborer had invited the employer to do so and agreed to it. If he did, then his right is where he placed it and what he agreed upon.'

وَ رَوَى عُبَيْدُ بْنُ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَهُ "يَا عُبَيْدُ إِنَّ اَلسَّرَفَ يُورِثُ اَلْفَقْرَ وَ إِنَّ اَلْقَصْدَ يُورِثُ اَلْغِنَى".

Ubayd bin Zurarah narrated from Abu Abdullah (a.s), that he said to him: 'O Ubayd, extravagance leads to poverty, and moderation leads to wealth.'

وَ سَأَلَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يُعَالِجُ اَلدَّوَاءَ لِلنَّاسِ فَيَأْخُذُ عَلَيْهِ جُعْلاً قَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ".

Muhammad bin Muslim asked Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), about a man who prepares medicine for people and takes a fee for it. Imam (a.s) said: 'There is no harm in it.'

وَ رَوَى اَلْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ اَلْحَسَنِ بْنِ رِبَاطٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَارَةَ عَنْ هِنْدٍ اَلسَّرَّاجِ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَصْلَحَكَ اَللَّهُ إِنِّي كُنْتُ أَحْمِلُ اَلسِّلاَحَ إِلَى أَهْلِ اَلشَّامِ فَأَبِيعُهُ مِنْهُمْ فَلَمَّا عَرَّفَنِيَ اَللَّهُ هَذَا اَلْأَمْرَ ضِقْتُ بِذَلِكَ اَلسِّلاَحِ قُلْتُ لاَ أَحْمِلُ إِلَى أَعْدَاءِ اَللَّهِ قَالَ "اِحْمِلْ إِلَيْهِمْ وَ بِعْهُمْ فَإِنَّ اَللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَدْفَعُ بِهِمْ عَدُوَّنَا وَ عَدُوَّكُمْ يَعْنِي اَلرُّومَ " قَالَ "فَإِذَا كَانَتِ اَلْحَرْبُ بَيْنَنَا وَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَمَنْ حَمَلَ إِلَى عَدُوِّنَا سِلاَحاً يَسْتَعِينُونَ بِهِ عَلَيْنَا فَهُوَ مُشْرِكٌ".

Al-Hasan bin Mahbub narrated from Ali bin al-Hasan bin Ribaat, from Abu Sarah, from Hind al-Sarraj, who said: I said to Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s): 'May Allah (swt) set you aright. I used to carry weapons to the people of Sham and sell them. But when Allah (swt) made me aware of this matter, I became distressed about that weaponry. I said, I will not carry it to the enemies of Allah (swt).' Imam (a.s) said: 'Carry it to them and sell it, for Allah (swt), the Exalted, uses them to repel our enemies and your enemies, meaning the Romans.' Imam (a.s) continued, 'But if there is a war between us and them, whoever carries weapons to our enemy that they use against us is a polytheist.'

وَ رَوَى اَلْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَلاَّدٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ مَا تَرَى فِي اَلرَّجُلِ يَلِي أَعْمَالَ اَلسُّلْطَانِ لَيْسَ لَهُ مَكْسَبٌ إِلاَّ مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِمْ وَ أَنَا أَمُرُّ بِهِ وَ أَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ فَيُضِيفُنِي وَ يُحْسِنُ إِلَيَّ وَ رُبَّمَا أَمَرَ لِي بِالدَّرَاهِمِ وَ اَلْكِسْوَةِ وَ قَدْ ضَاقَ صَدْرِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لِي "خُذْ وَ كُلْ مِنْهُ فَلَكَ اَلْمَهْنَأُ وَ عَلَيْهِ اَلْوِزْرُ".

Al-Hasan bin Mahbub narrate from Abu Walad who said: I said to Abu Abdullah (a.s), 'What do you think about a man who holds positions in the service of the Sultan and has no means of livelihood except through his work for them? I pass by him, and he hosts me, treats me kindly, and sometimes gives me dirhams and clothing. I feel uneasy about this.' Imam (a.s) said to me: 'Take it and eat from it, for the benefit is yours, and the sin is upon him.'