Using the Properties of Orphans in Business and Lending

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كَانَ لِي أَخٌ هَلَكَ فَأَوْصَى إِلَى أَخٍ أَكْبَرَ مِنِّي وَ أَدْخَلَنِي مَعَهُ فِي الْوَصِيَّةِ وَ تَرَكَ ابْناً لَهُ صَغِيراً وَ لَهُ مَالٌ فَيَضْرِبُ بِهِ أَخِي فَمَا كَانَ مِنْ فَضْلٍ سَلَّمَهُ لِلْيَتِيمِ وَ ضَمِنَ لَهُ مَالَهُ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ لِأَخِيكَ مَالٌ يُحِيطُ بِمَالِ الْيَتِيمِ إِنْ تَلِفَ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مَالٌ فَلَا يَعْرِضْ لِمَالِ الْيَتِي

“I once said to abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I had a brother who has died and made a will in which he appointed my brother who is elder to me and myself as executors. He has left behind a small son and has left behind a certain amount of assets. My brother uses that asset in business and gives the extra to the orphan and h

الْعَامِلُ بِهِ ضَامِنٌ وَ لِلْيَتِيمِ الرِّبْحُ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلْعَامِلِ بِهِ مَالٌ وَ قَالَ إِنْ أُعْطِبَ أَدَّاهُ‌[1].

“About the case of the assets of orphans, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One who uses the assets of the orphan in business is responsible and the profit belongs to the orphan, if the worker does not have anything of his own assets in it.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘This person is responsible to pay for any damage caused.’

فِي رَجُلٍ عِنْدَهُ مَالُ الْيَتِيمِ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ مُحْتَاجاً وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ مَالٌ فَلَا يَمَسَّ مَالَهُ وَ إِنْ [هُوَ] اتَّجَرَ بِهِ فَالرِّبْحُ لِلْيَتِيمِ وَ هُوَ ضَامِنٌ.

‘If he is poor and has no assets of his own, he must not touch the assets of the orphan; and if he uses it in business, he is responsible for it and the profit belongs to the orphan.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقُلْتُ أَمَرَنِي أَخِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْ مَالِ يَتِيمٍ فِي حَجْرِهِ يَتَّجِرُ بِهِ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ لِأَخِيكَ مَالٌ يُحِيطُ بِمَالِ الْيَتِيمِ إِنْ تَلِفَ أَوْ أَصَابَهُ شَيْ‌ءٌ غَرِمَهُ لَهُ وَ إِلَّا فَلَا يَتَعَرَّضْ لِمَالِ الْيَتِيمِ.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that my brother has told me to ask you about the assets of an orphan who is under his (my brother’s) guardianship and he uses the assets of the orphan in business. He (the Imam) said, ‘If your brother’s assets are sufficient to cover the assets of the orphan in case it is destroye

إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ ع قَدْ كَانَ يَسْتَقْرِضُ مِنْ مَالِ أَيْتَامٍ كَانُوا فِي حَجْرِهِ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who is the person in charge of the assets of an orphan; if he can borrow from such assets. He (the Imam) said, ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), would borrow from the assets of orphans under his guardianship, thus, it is not harmful.’”

قُلْتُ لَهُ رَجُلٌ وُلِّيَ مَالَ يَتِيمٍ أَ يَسْتَقْرِضُ مِنْهُ قَالَ‌ كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع يَسْتَقْرِضُ مِنْ مَالِ يَتِيمٍ كَانَ فِي حَجْرِهِ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who is the person in charge of the assets of orphans; if he can borrow from such assets. He (the Imam) said, ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), would borrow from the assets of orphans under his guardianship.’”

فِي الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ عِنْدَ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ مَالٌ لِأَيْتَامٍ فَيَدْفَعُهُ إِلَيْهِ فَيَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ دَرَاهِمَ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهَا وَ لَا يُعْلِمُ الَّذِي كَانَ عِنْدَهُ الْمَالُ لِلْأَيْتَامِ أَنَّهُ أَخَذَ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ شَيْئاً ثُمَّ تَيَسَّرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَيُّ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ أَ يُعْطِيهِ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي يَدِهِ أَمْ يَدْفَعُهُ إِلَى الْيَتِيمِ وَ قَدْ بَلَغَ وَ هَلْ يُجْزِئُهُ أَنْ يَدْفَعَهُ

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man in whose family someone has the assets of orphans and he gives a certain amount of dirham to him that he needs; and the person with whom there are the assets of orphans does not know if he has taken anything from their assets. He thereafter becomes affluent. I

سُئِلَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ وُلِّيَ مَالَ يَتِيمٍ فَاسْتَقْرَضَ مِنْهُ شَيْئاً فَقَالَ إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ ع كَانَ اسْتَقْرَضَ مَالًا لِأَيْتَامٍ فِي حَجْرِهِ.

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the case of a man who becomes the person in charge of the assets of orphans and borrows a certain amount thereof. He (the Imam) said, ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, would borrow from the assets of orphans under his guardianship.’”