Detestability of Using the Labor of a Worker before Agreeing on Wages and Delay Payment of His Wages

كُنْتُ مَعَ الرِّضَا ع فِي بَعْضِ الْحَاجَةِ فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَنْصَرِفَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِي فَقَالَ لِيَ انْصَرِفْ مَعِي فَبِتْ عِنْدِيَ اللَّيْلَةَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ مَعَهُ فَدَخَلَ إِلَى دَارِهِ مَعَ الْمُعَتِّبِ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى غِلْمَانِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ بِالطِّينِ أَوَارِيَ الدَّوَابِ‌[2] وَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ وَ إِذاً مَعَهُمْ أَسْوَدُ لَيْسَ مِنْهُمْ فَقَالَ مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ مَعَكُمْ فَقَالُوا يُعَاوِنُنَا وَ نُعْطِيهِ شَيْئ

“I once was with al-Rida’ (a.s.), because of a certain work and I wanted to leave for my home but he (the Imam) said, ‘Come with me and stay for the night with me/ I went with him (the Imam), he entered in his house with al-Mu‘attib and looked at his slaves who worked with clay, in the animal barn and other things and

لَا يَجِفُّ عَرَقُهُ حَتَّى تُعْطِيَهُ أُجْرَتَهُ.

“About the case of porters and a man working for hire, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You must pay him before his perspiration dries up.’”

تَكَارَيْنَا لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَوْماً يَعْمَلُونَ فِي بُسْتَانٍ لَهُ وَ كَانَ أَجَلُهُمْ إِلَى الْعَصْرِ فَلَمَّا فَرَغُوا قَالَ لِمُعَتِّبٍ أَعْطِهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَجِفَّ عَرَقُهُمْ.

“We once hired a people for abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), to work in his garden and they were suppose to work until the time of al-‘Al-‘Asr. When they finished, he (the Imam) said to Mu‘attib, ‘Pay them their wages before their perspiration dries up.’”

مَنْ كانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَ الْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلَا يَسْتَعْمِلَنَّ أَجِيراً حَتَّى يُعْلِمَهُ مَا أَجْرُهُ‌[1] وَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرَ أَجِيراً ثُمَّ حَبَسَهُ عَنِ الْجُمُعَةِ يَبُوءُ بِإِثْمِهِ وَ إِنْ هُوَ لَمْ يَحْبِسْهُ اشْتَرَكَا فِي الْأَجْرِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever believes in Allah and on Day of Judgment must not make a person work for him on hire until he knows how much his wages are, and if one hires a person and keeps him from Friday prayer, he is held responsible for his sin; and if he allows him to attend Friday prayer they will sh