Book of Livelihood
Chapter on Liability for Those Who Take Payment for Repairing Something but Cause Damage Instead
3918 - وَ رَوَى عَلِيُّ بْنُ اَلْحَكَمِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ اَلصَّبَّاحِ قَالَ : سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنِ اَلْقَصَّارِ يُسَلَّمُ إِلَيْهِ اَلْمَتَاعُ فَيُحْرِقُهُ أَوْ يَخْرِقُهُ أَ يُغَرَّمُهُ قَالَ "نَعَمْ غُرِّمَهُ بِمَا جَنَتْ يَدُهُ فَإِنَّكَ إِنَّمَا أَعْطَيْتَهُ لِيُصْلِحَ وَ لَمْ تُعْطِهِ لِيُفْسِدَ".
Hadith.3918 - Ali bin Al-Hakam narrated from Isma'il bin Al-Sabbah, who said:
I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a launderer to whom a garment is given, but he burns or tears it. Should he be held liable?
Imam (as) said: "Yes, he is liable for the damage caused by his actions, for you gave it to him to repair or clean, not to ruin."
3919 - وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ : "كَانَ أَبِي عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يُضَمِّنُ اَلْقَصَّارَ وَ اَلصَّوَّاغَ مَا أَفْسَدَا وَ كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ اَلْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ يَتَفَضَّلُ عَلَيْهِمْ".
Hadith.3919 - Imam (as) said: "My father (as) used to hold the launderer and the goldsmith liable for any damage they caused. But, Imam Ali ibn Al-Hussain (as) would show leniency toward them."
Book of Livelihood
Chapter on the Liability of One Who Carried Something and Claimed Its Loss
3920 - رَوَى حَمَّادٌ عَنِ اَلْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ : فِي جَمَّالٍ يَحْمِلُ مَعَهُ اَلزَّيْتَ فَيَقُولُ قَدْ ذَهَبَ أَوْ أُهْرِقَ أَوْ قُطِعَ عَلَيْهِ اَلطَّرِيقُ "فَإِنْ جَاءَ عَلَيْهِ بِبَيِّنَةٍ عَادِلَةٍ أَنَّهُ قُطِعَ عَلَيْهِ أَوْ ذَهَبَ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ وَ إِلاَّ ضَمِنَ" وَ فِي رَجُلٍ حَمَلَ مَعَهُ رَجُلٌ فِي سَفِينَتِهِ طَعَاماً فَنَقَصَ قَالَ "هُوَ ضَامِنٌ" قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّهُ رُبَّمَا زَادَ قَالَ "تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ زَادَ فِيهِ شَيْئاً" قُلْتُ لاَ قَالَ "هُوَ لَكَ".
Hadith.3920 - Hammad narrated from Al-Halabi, from Abu Abdillah (as), regarding a camel driver who carries oil and claims that it was lost, spilled, or taken by robbers.
Imam (as) said: "If he brings trustworthy evidence that it was stolen, lost, or taken, then he is not liable. Otherwise, he is responsible for compensating it."
And regarding a man who transported food for another man in his boat, but the quantity decreased,
Imam (as) said: "He is liable."
I said to him: "Sometimes the quantity increases."
Imam (as) said: "Do you know that he added anything to it?"
I said: "No."
Imam (as) said: "Then it belongs to you."
3921 - وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ : "فِي اَلْغُسَّالِ وَ اَلصُّوَّاغِ مَا سُرِقَ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ بِبَيِّنَةٍ عَلَى أَمْرٍ بَيِّنٍ أَنَّهُ قَدْ سُرِقَ وَ كُلُّ قَلِيلٍ لَهُ أَوْ كَثِيرٍ فَإِنْ فَعَلَ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يُقِمْ بَيِّنَةً وَ زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ ذَهَبَ اَلَّذِي اِدَّعَى فَقَدْ ضَمِنَهُ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ عَلَى قَوْلِهِ بَيِّنَةٌ ".
Hadith.3921 - Imam (as) said:
"Regarding the washer (ghassal) and the goldsmith (sawwagh), if something is stolen from them and they do not provide clear evidence proving that it was stolen, whether it is little or much, then they are liable. However, if they establish proof with clear evidence, then they are not liable. But if they fail to present evidence and merely claim that the item was lost, they are responsible for compensating it unless they provide proof to support their claim."
3922 - وَ قَالَ : فِي رَجُلٍ تَكَارَى دَابَّةً إِلَى مَكَانٍ مَعْلُومٍ فَتَضِيعُ اَلدَّابَّةُ قَالَ "إِنْ كَانَ جَازَ اَلشَّرْطَ فَهُوَ ضَامِنٌ وَ إِنْ دَخَلَ وَادِياً فَلَمْ يُوثِقْهَا فَهُوَ ضَامِنٌ وَ إِنْ سَقَطَتْ فِي بِئْرٍ فَهُوَ ضَامِنٌ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَسْتَوْثِقْ مِنْهَا".
Hadith.3922 - Imam (as) said regarding a man who rents an animal to travel to a specified location, but the animal is lost:
"If he exceeded the agreed conditions, he is liable. If he entered a valley and did not secure the animal properly, he is liable. And if it fell into a well, he is liable because he did not take proper precautions to safeguard it."
3923 - وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ جَمَّالٍ اُكْتُرِيَ مِنْهُ إِبِلٌ وَ بُعِثَ مَعَهُ بِزَيْتٍ إِلَى أَرْضٍ فَزَعَمَ أَنَّ بَعْضَ زِقَاقِ اَلزَّيْتِ اِنْخَرَقَ وَ أَهْرَاقَ اَلزَّيْتَ قَالَ "إِنَّهُ إِنْ شَاءَ أَخَذَ اَلزَّيْتَ" وَ قَالَ "اِنْخَرَقَ وَ لَكِنْ لاَ يُصَدَّقُ إِلاَّ بِبَيِّنَةٍ عَادِلَةٍ وَ أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ تَكَارَى دَابَّةً فَأَخَذَتْهَا اَلذِّئْبَةُ فَشَقَّتْ عَيْنَهَا فَنَفَقَتْ فَهُوَ لَهَا ضَامِنٌ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ مُسْلِماً عَدْلاً".
Hadith.3923 - It is narrated about a camel driver who was hired to transport oil to a certain land. He claimed that some of the oil skins were torn, causing the oil to spill.
Imam (as) said: "The owner may take the remaining oil if he wishes."
Imam (as) also said: "The camel driver's claim that the skins were torn is not accepted unless supported by trustworthy and just evidence."
And Imam (as) added: "Any man who rents an animal, and it is attacked by a wolf, which injures its eye and causes it to die, is liable for it unless he is a trustworthy and just person."
3924 - وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ : حَمَلَ أَبِي مَتَاعاً إِلَى اَلشَّامِ مَعَ جَمَّالٍ فَذَكَرَ أَنَّ حِمْلاً مِنْهُ ضَاعَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ "أَ تَتَّهِمُهُ" فَقُلْتُ لاَ قَالَ "فَلاَ تُضَمِّنْهُ".
Hadith.3924 - It is narrated from Ja'far bin Uthman, who said:
My father sent some goods to Syria with a camel driver, and the camel driver claimed that one of the loads was lost. I mentioned this to Abu Abdillah (as).
Imam (as) said: "Do you suspect him?"
I said: "No."
Imam (as) said: "Then do not hold him liable."
3925 - وَ رَوَى اِبْنُ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ : سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَصَّارٍ دَفَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ ثَوْباً فَزَعَمَ أَنَّهُ سُرِقَ مِنْ بَيْنِ ثِيَابِهِ قَالَ "عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُقِيمَ اَلْبَيِّنَةَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ سُرِقَ مِنْ بَيْنِ مَتَاعِهِ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ وَ إِنْ سُرِقَ مَعَ مَتَاعِهِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ".
Hadith.3925 - Ibn Muskan narrated from Abu Basir, from Abu Abdillah (as), who said:
I asked him about a launderer to whom I gave a garment, and he claimed that it was stolen from among his belongings.
Imam (as) said: "He must provide evidence that it was stolen from among his belongings, and if he does so, then he is not liable. Similarly, if it was stolen along with his belongings, he is not liable."
3926 - وَ رَوَى عُثْمَانُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ : قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ جَمَّالاً لَنَا كَانَ يُكَارِينَا فَحَمَلَ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ فَضَاعَ قَالَ "ضَمِّنْهُ وَ خُذْ مِنْهُ".
Hadith.3926 - Uthman bin Ziyad narrated from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as), who said:
I said to Imam (as): "We had a camel driver who used to work for us. He loaded goods onto someone else's camel, and they were lost."
Imam (as) said: "Hold him liable and take compensation from him."
3927 - وَ كَانَ أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يُضَمِّنُ اَلصَّبَّاغَ وَ اَلْقَصَّارَ وَ اَلصَّائِغَ، اِحْتِيَاطاً عَلَى أَمْتِعَةِ اَلنَّاسِ وَ كَانَ لاَ يُضَمِّنُ مِنَ اَلْغَرَقِ وَ اَلْحَرَقِ وَ اَلشَّيْءِ اَلْغَالِبِ وَ إِذَا غَرِقَتِ اَلسَّفِينَةُ وَ مَا فِيهَا فَأَصَابَهُ اَلنَّاسُ فَمَا قَذَفَ بِهِ اَلْبَحْرُ عَلَى سَاحِلِهِ فَهُوَ لِأَهْلِهِ وَ هُمْ أَحَقُّ بِهِ وَ مَا غَاصَ عَلَيْهِ اَلنَّاسُ وَ تَرَكَهُ صَاحِبُهُ فَهُوَ لَهُمْ".
Hadith.3927 - Commander of the Faithful (as) used to hold the dyer, launderer, and goldsmith liable as a precaution to protect people's belongings. However, he did not hold them liable for damages caused by drowning, fire, or overwhelming events.
And if a ship sinks along with its cargo, and people recover what washes up on the shore, it belongs to its owners, and they have the strongest claim to it. But whatever people dive for and the owner abandons, it belongs to those who recover it.