Consuming the Properties of Orphans

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ أَوْعَدَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ بِعُقُوبَتَيْنِ إِحْدَاهُمَا عُقُوبَةُ الْآخِرَةِ النَّارُ وَ أَمَّا عُقُوبَةُ الدُّنْيَا فَقَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ لْيَخْشَ الَّذِينَ‌ لَوْ تَرَكُوا مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّةً ضِعافاً خافُوا عَلَيْهِمْ‌ الْآيَةَ[1] يَعْنِي لِيَخْشَ أَنْ أَخْلُفَهُ فِي ذُرِّيَّتِهِ كَمَا صَنَعَ بِهَؤُلَاءِ الْيَتَامَى.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has issued two kinds of warnings about consuming properties of orphans. One is the suffering by the fire in the next life

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ أَكْلِ مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ فَقَالَ هُوَ كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوالَ الْيَتامى‌ ظُلْماً إِنَّما يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ ناراً وَ سَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيراً[2] ثُمَّ قَالَ ع مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ أَسْأَلَهُ مَنْ عَالَ يَتِيماً حَتَّى يَنْقَطِعَ يُتْمُهُ أَوْ يَسْتَغْنِيَ بِنَفْسِهِ أَوْجَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ الْجَنَّةَ كَمَا أَوْجَبَ الن

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who consumes the properties of orphans. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is as Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has said, “Those who consume the properties of orphans unjustly, they only consume fire in their bellies and will feel the heat

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ فِي يَدِهِ مَالٌ لِأَيْتَامٍ فَيَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ فَيَمُدُّ يَدَهُ فَيَأْخُذُهُ وَ يَنْوِي أَنْ يَرُدَّهُ فَقَالَ لَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ إِلَّا الْقَصْدَ لَا يُسْرِفُ‌[3] فَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ نِيَّتِهِ أَنْ لَا يَرُدَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ فَهُوَ بِالْمَنْزِلِ الَّذِي قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوالَ الْيَتامى‌ ظُلْماً[4].

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man who in his hand has properties of orphans and is needy. He extends his hand to take a certain amount with the intention to return. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not proper for him to consume it, except with moderation and without excess; but if his intention is n

قِيلَ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّا نَدْخُلُ عَلَى أَخٍ لَنَا فِي بَيْتِ أَيْتَامٍ وَ مَعَهُمْ خَادِمٌ لَهُمْ فَنَقْعُدُ عَلَى بِسَاطِهِمْ وَ نَشْرَبُ مِنْ مَائِهِمْ وَ يَخْدُمُنَا خَادِمُهُمْ وَ رُبَّمَا طَعِمْنَا فِيهِ الطَّعَامَ مِنْ عِنْدِ صَاحِبِنَا وَ فِيهِ مِنْ طَعَامِهِمْ فَمَا تَرَى فِي ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي دُخُولِكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ مَنْفَعَةٌ لَهُمْ فَلَا بَأْسَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ ضَرَرٌ فَلَا وَ ق

“Once it was said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘We visit a brother in belief in the house of orphans with their servant. We sit on their furnishings, drink from their water and their servant serves us and perhaps eat of the food of our friend in which there is the orphans’ food also. What do you say about it? He (the Imam

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ لِيَ ابْنَةَ أَخٍ يَتِيمَةً فَرُبَّمَا أُهْدِيَ لَهَا الشَّيْ‌ءُ فَآكُلُ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ أُطْعِمُهَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الشَّيْ‌ءَ مِنْ مَالِي فَأَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ هَذَا بِهَذَا فَقَالَ ع لَا بَأْسَ.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I have an orphan girl of my brother. At certain times gifts are given to her and I eat a certain amount thereof. Thereafter I feed her a certain amount from my properties and I say, “O Lord, this is for what I have used.” He (the Imam) (a.s.), said, ‘It is not harmful.”’