The Amount a Supervisor of the Properties of Orphans Can Lawfully Use

“About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘One who is poor can eat to the proper limit’, (4:6) abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is one who manages the properties of orphans but is needy and does not have anything to support himself. He collects debts that people owe to them (orphans) and looks after them, he can eat from their assets only what he needs without excess, but if their assets do not take his time to work for his own-self, then he must not use anything of the properties of the orphans.’”

“About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘If you mix with them then they are your brothers in religion’, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is a reference to orphans. If one becomes the person-in-charge of the affairs of orphans, one must take from one’s own assets a certain amount, and equal to this amount from every one of the orphan assets take the same amount; then mix them for the use of all of them together. One must not use anything from their property; it is the fire.’”

“About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘He must eat to the proper limit’, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Al-Ma‘ruf (proper limit) is what one needs for sustenance. It applies to the executor of the will or one who is appointed as the custodian of their assets and to work for their welfare.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ‘Isa ibn Musa asked about guardians of orphans, camels and what is lawful in matters of camels. I said, ‘If he repairs their water tank, finds the lost ones, scratches their itch, he then is entitled to use their milk without excessive use of their udder or harming their young.’”

“About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘One who is poor can eat within the proper limits’, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘He is a man who holds himself back from making his living (to help the orphans). It is not harmful if he eats within the proper limits when he looks after their properties. If the properties are of a small amount he must not eat thereof.’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘What is the meaning of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, “If you mix then they are your brothers in religion”?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You must take out from their property an amount that is sufficient for them for a certain time and from your own property a similar amount which is sufficient for you; then you can spend it.’ I then asked about the case where certain ones are smaller and others are bigger and of different amount of expenses for food and clothing. He (the Imam) said, ‘In matters of clothes each individual pays what is spent for that individual, but in matters of food they all share; a small person perhaps uses as much food as a larger one.’”

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about an orphan whose income every month is twenty dirham; how I must spend it. He (the Imam) said, ‘Spend what the orphan needs of food and dates.’ I asked if spending one-third is sufficient. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you must spend half of the income.’”