1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn abu Nasr who has said the following: “Once I asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, please pray for me to Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, so He grants me lawful sustenance.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘Do you know what lawful sustenance is?’ I replied, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, according to our information it is clean earning.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Ali ibn Al-Husayn (a.s.), would say, ‘Lawful sustenance is the sustenance of the chosen ones.’ You, however, should say, ‘I pray to You to grant me wide-ranging sustenance.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Mu’ammar ibn Khallad and Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Bandar from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa all from Mu’ammar ibn Khallad from abu al-Hassan, al-Thani, who has said the following: “Once abu Ja‘far (a.s.), looked at a man who said, ‘O Lord, I pray to You to grant me lawful sustenance.’ Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), said, ‘You have asked of the kind of sustenance of the prophets. Say, “O Lord, grant me of Your extended and clean sustenance.’””

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.