Book of Livelihood
Chapter on Livelihoods, Earnings, Profits, and Professions
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي اَلْمَغْرَاءِ قَالَ: سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ وَ أَنَا عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ أَصْلَحَكَ اَللَّهُ أَمُرُّ بِالْعَامِلِ أَوْ آتِي اَلْعَامِلَ فَيُجِيزُنِي بِالدَّرَاهِمِ آخُذُهَا قَالَ "نَعَمْ" قُلْتُ وَ أَحُجُّ بِهَا قَالَ "نَعَمْ وَ حُجَّ بِهَا".
It is narrated from Abu al-Maghra, who said: A man asked Abu Abdullah (a.s), while I was present, 'May Allah (swt) rectify your affairs. I pass by the official or go to the official, and he grants me dirhams. Should I take them?' Imam (a.s) said: 'Yes.' I asked: 'Can I perform Hajj with them?' Imam (a.s) said: 'Yes, and perform Hajj with them.'
وَ رَوَى عَلِيُّ بْنُ يَقْطِينٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو اَلْحَسَنِ مُوسَى بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ: "إِنَّ لِلَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى مَعَ اَلسُّلْطَانِ أَوْلِيَاءَ يَدْفَعُ بِهِمْ عَنْ أَوْلِيَائِهِ ".
It is narrated from Ali ibn Yaqtin who said: Abu al-Hasan Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (a.s) said to me: 'Indeed, Allah (swt), Blessed and Exalted, has allies among the rulers through whom He (swt) repels harm from His (swt) friends.'
وَ فِي خَبَرٍ آخَرَ: "أُولَئِكَ عُتَقَاءُ اَللَّهِ مِنَ اَلنَّارِ".
And in another narration: "They are the freed ones of Allah (swt) from the Fire."
وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "كَفَّارَةُ عَمَلِ اَلسُّلْطَانِ قَضَاءُ حَوَائِجِ اَلْإِخْوَانِ".
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "The expiation for working for the ruler is fulfilling the needs of the brothers."
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ زُرَارَةَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: بَعَثَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ رَجُلاً إِلَى زِيَادِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اَللَّهِ فَقَالَ "وَلِّ ذَا بَعْضَ عَمَلِكَ".
It is narrated from Ubayd ibn Zurarah that he said: Abu Abdillah (a.s) sent a man to Ziyad ibn Ubaydillah and said: "Appoint this person to some of your work."
رَوَى حَرِيزٌ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ لاِبْنِهِ مَالٌ فَاحْتَاجَ إِلَيْهِ اَلْأَبُ قَالَ "يَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ وَ أَمَّا اَلْأُمُّ فَلاَ تَأْخُذْ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ قَرْضاً عَلَى نَفْسِهَا".
Hariz narrated from Muhammad ibn Muslim who said: I asked him about a man whose son has wealth, and the father is in need of it. Imam (a.s) said: "He may take from it, but as for the mother, she should not take from it except as a loan upon herself."
وَ رَوَى اَلْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ أَبِي اَلْعَلاَءِ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ مَا يَحِلُّ لِلرَّجُلِ مِنْ مَالِ وُلْدِهِ قَالَ "قُوتُهُ بِغَيْرِ سَرَفٍ إِذَا اُضْطُرَّ إِلَيْهِ " قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فَقَوْلُ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ "أَنْتَ وَ مَالُكَ لِأَبِيكَ" فَقَالَ "إِنَّمَا جَاءَ بِأَبِيهِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ هَذَا أَبِي وَ قَدْ ظَلَمَنِي مِيرَاثِي مِنْ أُمِّي فَأَخْبَرَهُ اَلْأَبُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ أَنْفَقَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَقَالَ "أَنْتَ وَ مَالُكَ لِأَبِيكَ" وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَ اَلرَّجُلِ شَيْءٌ أَ فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ يَحْبِسُ أَباً لاِبْنٍ".
Al-Husayn ibn Abi Al-Ala narrated that he said: I said to Abu Abdillah (a.s), "What is permissible for a man to take from the wealth of his child?" Imam (a.s) said: "His sustenance without extravagance if he is in need." He said: "I then asked him about the saying of the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family), 'You and your wealth belong to your father.'" Imam (a.s) replied: "Indeed, the father brought his case to the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah (swt), this is my son, and he has wronged me concerning my inheritance from his mother.' The father then informed him that he had spent it on him and on himself. So, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'You and your wealth belong to your father.' The man had nothing left with him, so would the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) imprison a father for the sake of his son?'"
وَ رَوَى اَلْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "لَيْسَ لِلْمَرْأَةِ مَعَ زَوْجِهَا أَمْرٌ فِي عِتْقٍ وَ لاَ صَدَقَةٍ وَ لاَ تَدْبِيرٍ وَ لاَ هِبَةٍ وَ لاَ نَذْرٍ فِي مَالِهَا إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ زَوْجِهَا إِلاَّ فِي زَكَاةٍ أَوْ بِرِّ وَالِدَيْهَا أَوْ صِلَةِ قَرَابَتِهَا".
Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub narrated from Abdullah ibn Sinan, from Abu Abdillah (a.s), who said: "A woman has no authority with her husband regarding emancipation, charity, endowment, gift, or vow concerning her wealth, except with her husband's permission-except in the case of Zakat, kindness to her parents, or maintaining ties with her relatives."
وَ - قِيلَ لِلصَّادِقِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِنَّ اَلنَّاسَ يَرْوُونَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ "إِنَّ اَلصَّدَقَةَ لاَ تَحِلُّ لِغَنِيٍّ وَ لاَ لِذِي مِرَّةٍ سَوِيٍّ" فَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ "قَدْ قَالَ لِغَنِيٍّ وَ لَمْ يَقُلْ لِذِي مِرَّةٍ سَوِيٍّ".
It was said to Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s): "People narrate from the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) that he said: 'Charity is not permissible for a wealthy person nor for one who is strong and able-bodied.'" Imam (a.s) replied: "He (saws) indeed said it is not permissible for a wealthy person, but he (saws) did not say for one who is strong and able-bodied."
وَ رَوَى أَبُو اَلْبَخْتَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "لَإِسْمَاعُ اَلْأَصَمِّ مِنْ غَيْرِ ضَجَرٍ صَدَقَةٌ هَنِيئَةٌ".
Abu Al-Bakhtari narrated from Abu Abdillah (a.s) who said: "Helping a deaf person to hear without annoyance is a pleasant charity."
