Chapter on Livelihoods, Earnings, Profits, and Professions

"Good in the Hereafter" refers to Allah's (swt) pleasure and Paradise, and "good in this world" refers to abundance in sustenance, favorable living conditions, and good character.

"The world is an excellent aid for the Hereafter."

Hadith.3568 - Imam (as) said: "He is not from us who abandons his worldly life for his Hereafter, nor his Hereafter for his worldly life."

"Work for your worldly life as if you will live forever, and work for your Hereafter as if you will die tomorrow."

Hadith.3570 - The Messenger of Allah (swt), peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: "Wealth is an excellent aid in attaining piety towards Allah (swt)."

Hadith.3571 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Indeed, Allah (swt), Blessed and Exalted, loves traveling in pursuit of sustenance."

Hadith.3572 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Set out (on a journey), and sustenance will set out for you."

Hadith.3573 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "I love to see a man striving in pursuit of sustenance. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (swt), peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: 'O Allah…

Hadith.3574 - The Messenger of Allah (swt), peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: "If any of you has a need, let him seek it early in the morning, for I asked my Lord (azj), the Almighty and Glorious, to…

Hadith.3575 - Imam (as) said: "If any of you intends to fulfill a need, let him seek it early in the morning and hasten in walking towards it."

"Do not be lazy in seeking your livelihood, for our fathers used to strive for it and pursue it."

Hadith.3577 - The Messenger of Allah (swt), peace and blessings be upon him and his family, sent a man to fulfill a need, and the man was walking in the sun. So the Prophet (sw) said to him: "Walk in the shade, for the…

Hadith.3578 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Whoever goes to fulfill a need without being in a state of ablution, and his need is not fulfilled, let him blame none but himself."

Hadith.3579 - Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as), said: "I find myself despising a man who faces difficulties in earning a livelihood, yet he lies on his back and says, 'O Allah (swt), provide for me,' while…

Hadith.3580 - Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, said: "Indeed, Allah (swt), Blessed and Exalted, loves the trustworthy worker."

Abu Abdullah (as), handed me seven hundred dinars and said: "O 'Udhafir, invest it in something." Imam (as) then added: "I am not doing this out of greed, but I wish for Allah (swt), Blessed and Exalted, to see me…

A man came to the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, and said: "O Messenger of Allah (swt), I have taught my son to read and write. In what profession should I place him?" The Prophet, peace be upon him and his…

I said to Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as): "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…

Hadith.3584 - 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…

'You should not have done that, but Allah (swt) has made it a barrier for you against the Fire.'"

"I asked him about scattered treats such as sugar, almonds, and similar items-whether it is permissible to eat them. Imam (as) replied: 'It is disliked to consume anything that is seized unlawfully.'"

"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…

"He (as) used to forbid eating the walnuts that children bring from gambling, and He (as) said it is unlawful (suht)."

"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."

"Four things are not permissible in four situations: treachery, embezzlement, theft, and usury. They are not permissible in Hajj, Umrah, Jihad, or charity."

Hadith.3591 - Imam (as) 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…

Hadith.3592 - It is narrated: "She makes it permissible by striking one of her hands against the other."

"I saw Abu Al-Hasan (as) working in his land, and his feet were soaked in sweat. I said to him, 'May I be your ransom! Where are the men (to assist you)?' Imam (as) replied: 'O Ali, one who is better than me and my…

"Allah (swt), the Almighty and Majestic, revealed to Dawud (as): 'You are an excellent servant, except that you eat from the public treasury and do not work with your hands.' Dawud (as) then wept. So Allah (swt), the…

'May Allah (swt) make us your ransom! Let us work for you, or let the servants handle it.' Imam (as) replied: 'No, leave me to it, for I desire that Allah (swt), the Almighty and Majestic, sees me working with my own…

Hadith.3596 - It is reported that Commander of the Faithful (as) used to go out during the midday heat for tasks that had already been taken care of, desiring that Allah (swt), the Exalted, would see him exerting himself…

I asked Abu Abdillah (as), "These people claim that the earnings of a teacher are unlawful." Imam (as) replied: "The enemies of Allah (swt) have lied! They only intend to prevent their children from learning the Quran.…

Hadith.3598 - Imam Ali ibn Al-Hussain (as) said: "Part of a man's happiness is that his business is in his own land, that his associates are righteous, and that he has children who assist him."

I said to Abu Abdullah (as): "I have set up a millstone, and it is my sitting place where my companions also sit with me." Imam (as) said: "That is Allah's (swt) mercy."

Hadith.3600 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said to Al-Walid ibn Subayh: "O Walid, do not buy anything for me from one who is engaged in unlawful earnings (Muharif), for there is no blessing in associating with…

Hadith.3601 - Imam (as) said: "Do not associate with or conduct business except with those who have been raised in goodness."

Hadith.3602 - Imam (as) said: "Beware of dealing with those who have defects, for they are the most unjust of people."

Hadith.3603 - Imam (as) said to Abu Al-Rabi' Al-Shami: "Do not associate with the Kurds, for the Kurds are a group from the Jinn whom Allah (swt), the Almighty and Majestic, has removed the veil from."

Hadith.3604 - Imam (as) said: "Do not seek the assistance of a Magian, even for holding the legs of your sheep while you intend to slaughter it."

Hadith.3605 - Imam (as) said: "Beware of associating with the lowly, for it does not lead to any good."

Hadith.3606 - Al-Fudhayl ibn Yasaar asked Abu Abdullah (as): "I have abandoned trade." Imam (as) replied: "Do not do that. Open your door, spread your mat, and seek sustenance from your Lord (azj), Allah (swt)."

Hadith.3607 - Sadir Al-Sayrafi said: I asked Abu Abdullah (as): "What is required of a man in seeking sustenance?" Imam (as) replied: "O Sadir, if you open your door and spread your mat, then you have fulfilled what is…

Hadith.3608 - Imam (as) said: "Indeed, Allah (swt), Blessed and Exalted, has made the sustenance of the believers come from where they do not expect. This is because when a servant does not know the source of his…

Hadith.3609 - Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "Be more hopeful for what you do not expect than for what you expect. Indeed, Moses, son of Imran (as), went out to fetch fire for his family, but Allah (swt), the Almighty…

Hadith.3610 - A man said to Abu al-Hasan Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as): "Promise me something." Imam (as) replied: "How can I promise you, when I have more hope in what I do not expect than in what I do expect?"

"Allah (swt), the Almighty and Glorious, does not close a door of sustenance for a believer except that He opens for him what is better than it."

"Whoever receives sustenance from Allah (swt), the Almighty and Glorious, without having walked towards it with his feet, nor extended his hand for it, nor spoken about it with his tongue, nor prepared himself for it by…

Hadith.3613 - Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) said: "Assistance descends from the heavens in proportion to one's needs."

Hadith.3614 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Wealth that prevents you from committing oppression is better than poverty that leads you to sin."

Hadith.3615 - Imam (as) said: "There is no good in one who does not desire to earn wealth through lawful means, so that he may protect his dignity, pay off his debts, and maintain ties of kinship."

Hadith.3616 - The Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Part of honor and dignity is managing wealth properly."

Hadith.3617 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Managing wealth properly is a part of faith."

Hadith.3618 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "A Muslim cannot be righteous except through three qualities: understanding the religion, managing livelihood wisely, and exercising patience in adversity."

Hadith.3619 - The Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: "Indeed, when the soul secures its provision, it becomes content."

Hadith.3620 - Mu'ammar ibn Khallad asked Abu al-Hasan Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as) about storing food for a year. Imam (as) replied: "I do it myself."

'There is no spending more beloved to Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, than moderate spending. He (swt) dislikes extravagance, except in Hajj and Umrah. May Allah (swt) have mercy on a believer who earns lawfully,…

Hadith.3622 - The Scholar, Imam (as) said: "I guarantee that whoever practices moderation will never become poor."

Hadith.3623 - Imam Ali ibn Al-Hussain (as) said: "A man may spend his wealth on what is right, yet still be considered extravagant."

"The extravagant person has three signs: he eats what does not belong to him, buys what does not belong to him, and wears what does not belong to him."

"Among the causes of corruption are the discontinuation of currency (dirham and dinar) and the discarding of date pits."

Hadith.3626 - Ishaq ibn Ammar asked Abu Abdullah (as) about the least form of extravagance. Imam (as) replied: "Wearing your garment of dignity for ordinary tasks, spilling the excess of what is in your vessel, and…

"their prayers are returned to them": A man who had a large amount of wealth, reaching thirty thousand or forty thousand, and spent it without careful consideration. Then he says, 'O Allah (swt), provide for me.' Allah…

Hadith.3628 - Imam (as) said: "Part of a man's happiness is that he is the caretaker of his family."

Hadith.3629 - Imam (as) said: "It is sufficient for a man to be sinful if he neglects those he is responsible for."

Hadith.3630 - The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Cursed, cursed is the one who neglects those he is responsible for."

Hadith.3631 - Imam (as) said: "The one who strives to provide for his family through lawful means is like a warrior in the path of Allah (swt)."

"Do not expose yourselves to obligations, but if they become binding upon you, then be patient with them."

Hadith.3633 - Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as) said: "Do not give to your brothers from yourself what causes you more harm than it benefits them."

Hadith.3634 - Abu Abdillah (as) said: "Beware of laziness and restlessness, for they are the keys to every evil. Indeed, whoever is lazy will not fulfill a right, and whoever is restless will not endure upon the truth."

Hadith.3635 - Abu al-Hasan Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) said: "Indeed, Allah (swt) the Exalted hates a servant who sleeps excessively. Indeed, Allah (swt) the Exalted hates a servant who is idle."

Hadith.3636 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said to Bishir al-Nabbal: "When you are granted provision from something, remain committed to it."

"Look for merchandise, purchase it, and then sell it. Whatever you profit from it, remain committed to it."

Hadith.3638 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Handle your major affairs personally, and delegate the smaller ones to others." It was asked: "What kind of tasks are you referring to?" Imam (as) replied:…

"Do not spend your time wandering through markets, nor personally handle the purchase of minor goods. It does not befit a Muslim who possesses faith and honor to involve himself directly in purchasing small items-except…

"Commander of the Faithful (as) used to gather firewood, draw water, and sweep, while Sayiida Fatimah {s.a} used to grind, knead, and bake."

Hadith.3641 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "The buyer of real estate is blessed, while the seller of real estate is deprived."

"A man does not leave behind anything more burdensome upon him than silent wealth (hoarded wealth)." I asked him, "What should he do with it?" Imam (as) replied: "Invest it in walls, orchards, and houses."

'O Allah (swt), do not bless anyone who sells a piece of land from it.' "

Hadith.3644 - Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) said: "It is written in the Torah that whoever sells land and water, and does not invest its price in land and water, its price will be lost in ruin."

I asked him about the earnings of a cupper (bloodletter). Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it."

Hadith.3646 - The Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) forbade 'Aseeb Al-Fahl', which is the fee for the mating of a stallion.

Hadith.3647 - Abu Basir asked him about the price of a hunting dog. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in its price, but as for the other type, its price is not permissible."

Hadith.3648 - Imam (as) said: "The wage of a prostitute is unlawful (suht), the price of a dog that is not a hunting dog is unlawful (suht), the price of wine is unlawful (suht), the earnings of a soothsayer are unlawful…

Hadith.3649 - It is narrated: "The earnings of a male singer and a female singer are unlawful (suht)."

Hadith.3650 - The Messenger of Allah (swt), peace and blessings be upon him and his family, forbade taking payment for recitation by one who does not recite except on a stipulated fee.

Hadith.3651 - Al-Husayn ibn al-Mukhtar al-Qalanisi narrated: I said to Abu Abdullah (as), 'We make caps and place old cotton inside them, then sell them without informing the buyers of what is inside.' Imam (as) replied:…

Hadith.3652 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Indeed, the one who consumes the wealth of an orphan will face its consequences both in this world and in the Hereafter. As for this world, Allah (swt), the…

Hadith.3653 - Muhammad bin Al-Hasan Al-Saffar, may Allah (swt) be pleased with him, wrote to Imam Abu Muhammad Al-Hasan bin Ali (as) asking: "A man escorts caravans without the order of the ruler in a fearful place, and…

Hadith.3654 - Muhammad bin Isa bin Ubaid Al-Yaqtini wrote to Abu Al-Hasan Imam Ali bin Muhammad Al-Askari (as), asking: "A man entrusted his son to another man and handed him over for a year with a known wage to sew for…

I asked him about hiring (employment). Imam (as) 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 (as) hired himself out and…

I asked Abu Abdullah (as), about a man who trades but, if he hires himself out, earns more than he does in his trade. Imam (as) said: 'He should not hire himself out but rather seek sustenance from Allah (swt), the…

'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?'

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…

to him: 'O Ubayd, extravagance leads to poverty, and moderation leads to wealth.'

Hadith.3660 - Muhammad bin Muslim asked Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as), about a man who prepares medicine for people and takes a fee for it. Imam (as) said: 'There is no harm in it.'

I said to Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as): '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…

Hadith.3662 - Al-Hasan bin Mahbub narrate from Abu Walad who said: I said to Abu Abdullah (as), 'What do you think about a man who holds positions in the service of the Sultan and has no means of livelihood except…

A man asked Abu Abdullah (as), 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 (as) said: 'Yes.' I asked: 'Can…

Abu al-Hasan Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) said to me: 'Indeed, Allah (swt), Blessed and Exalted, has allies among the rulers through whom He (swt) repels harm from His (swt) friends.'

Hadith.3665 - And in another narration: "They are the freed ones of Allah (swt) from the Fire."

Hadith.3666 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "The expiation for working for the ruler is fulfilling the needs of the brothers."

"Appoint this person to some of your work."

I asked him about a man whose son has wealth, and the father is in need of it. Imam (as) said: "He may take from it, but as for the mother, she should not take from it except as a loan upon herself."

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "What is permissible for a man to take from the wealth of his child?" Imam (as) said: "His sustenance without extravagance if he is in need." He said: "I then asked him about the saying of…

"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…

Hadith.3671 - It was said to Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as): "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…

"Helping a deaf person to hear without annoyance is a pleasant charity."

Hadith.3673 - The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to a man: "Did you wake up fasting?" He replied: "No." He (sw) said: "Then did you visit a sick person?" He replied: "No." He (sw) said: "Then did you…

Hadith.3674 - A man came to the Commander of the Faithful (as) and said: "O Commander of the Faithful, by Allah (swt), I love you." Imam (as) said to him: "But I dislike you." The man asked: "Why?" Imam (as) replied:…

Hadith.3675 - Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "Whoever takes payment for teaching the Quran, his share will be [taken] on the Day of Judgment."

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "I recite the Quran, and gifts are given to me-should I accept them?" Imam (as) said: "No." I said: "What if I did not stipulate it (as a condition)?" Imam (as) said: "Tell me, if you had not…

I performed Hajj and met Abu Abdillah (as) in Mina. I said to Him (as): "May I be your ransom! I am a man whose profession was sorcery, and I used to take payment for it. I have performed Hajj, and Allah (swt), the…

Hadith.3678 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Whoever passes by orchards, there is no harm in eating from their fruits, but he should not carry anything from them with him."