Promoting The Quest For Sustenance And Work To Make A Living

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَجُلٌ قَالَ لَأَقْعُدَنَّ فِي بَيْتِي وَ لَأُصَلِّيَنَّ وَ لَأَصُومَنَّ وَ لَأَعْبُدَنَّ رَبِّي فَأَمَّا رِزْقِي فَسَيَأْتِينِي فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع هَذَا أَحَدُ الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ لَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهُمْ.

“I once said to abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), that a man says, ‘I stay home, perform Salat (prayer), fast and worship my Lord. My sustenance will come to me. 5 Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘This is one of the three (classes of people) whose prayer is not answered.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ أَ رَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا دَخَلَ بَيْتَهُ وَ أَغْلَقَ بَابَهُ أَ كَانَ يَسْقُطُ عَلَيْهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Do you think the sustenance of a man who stays in his home and closes his door, keeps falling on him from the sky?”’

كُنَّا جُلُوساً عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِذْ أَقْبَلَ الْعَلَاءُ بْنُ كَامِلٍ فَجَلَسَ قُدَّامَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ ادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَرْزُقَنِي فِي دَعَةٍ[1] فَقَالَ لَا أَدْعُو لَكَ اطْلُبْ كَمَا أَمَرَكَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

“Once we were in the presence of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when al-‘Ala’ ibn Kamil came in and sat in front of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and asked, ‘Please pray for me so Allah will make me affluent.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘I will not pray for you. Has Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, not commanded you to seek and

سَأَلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ وَ أَنَا عِنْدَهُ فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَصَابَتْهُ الْحَاجَةُ قَالَ فَمَا يَصْنَعُ الْيَوْمَ قِيلَ فِي الْبَيْتِ يَعْبُدُ رَبَّهُ قَالَ فَمِنْ أَيْنَ قُوتُهُ قِيلَ مِنْ عِنْدِ بَعْضِ إِخْوَانِهِ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ اللَّهِ لَلَّذِي يَقُوتُهُ أَشَدُّ عِبَادَةً مِنْهُ.

‘He has become very needy.’ He (the Imam) then asked, ‘What is he doing today?’ It was said, ‘He is in his home worshipping his Lord.’ He (the Imam) then asked, ‘Wherefrom he receives for his living?’ It was said, ’It comes from a certain one of his brothers.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘By Allah, the one who pr

مَنْ طَلَبَ [الرِّزْقَ فِي‌] الدُّنْيَا اسْتِعْفَافاً عَنِ النَّاسِ وَ تَوْسِيعاً عَلَى أَهْلِهِ وَ تَعَطُّفاً عَلَى جَارِهِ لَقِيَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ وَجْهُهُ مِثْلُ الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said that one who works to earn his sustenance in this world so he would not need to spread his hands before people for help, to better the living conditions of his family and to show kindness to his neighbors will, on the Judgment Day, go before Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, with his fac

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ الْعِبَادَةُ سَبْعُونَ جُزْءاً أَفْضَلُهَا طَلَبُ الْحَلَالِ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Worship has seventy parts. The most excellent part in it is working to make lawful living.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ يَا هِشَامُ إِنْ رَأَيْتَ الصَّفَّيْنِ قَدِ الْتَقَيَا فَلَا تَدَعْ طَلَبَ الرِّزْقِ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ‌[2].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said to me, £ 0 Hisham, even if you find yourself in the two armies facing each other to fight, you must not neglect working for your sustenance on such day.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ أَقْرِءُوا مَنْ لَقِيتُمْ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكُمُ السَّلَامَ وَ قُولُوا لَهُمْ إِنَ‌ فُلَانَ بْنَ فُلَانٍ يُقْرِئُكُمُ السَّلَامَ وَ قُولُوا لَهُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ مَا يُنَالُ بِهِ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي وَ اللَّهِ مَا آمُرُكُمْ إِلَّا بِمَا نَأْمُرُ بِهِ أَنْفُسَنَا فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالْجِدِّ وَ الِاجْتِهَادِ وَ إِذَا صَلَّيْتُمُ الصُّبْحَ وَ انْصَرَفْتُمْ فَبَ

8. Ahmad ibn ‘ Abd Allah Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu ‘ Abd Allah from Safwan from Khalid ibn Najih who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Say Salam (greeting of peace) to whoever of your people you meet and say to them, “So and so son of so and so (the Imam) says Sal

قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنْ ظَنَنْتَ أَوْ بَلَغَكَ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ كَائِنٌ فِي غَدٍ[1] فَلَا تَدَعَنَّ طَلَبَ الرِّزْقِ وَ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ لَا تَكُونَ كَلًّا فَافْعَلْ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said to me, ‘Even if you find enough reason to believe that this task (the rise of al-Qa’im with divine authority) will take place tomorrow, still you must not neglect work for a living. If you cannot complete the work do (what you can)”’

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ أَ يَعْجِزُ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِثْلَ النَّمْلَةِ فَإِنَّ النَّمْلَةَ تَجُرُّ إِلَى جُحْرِهَا.

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Why should anyone among you be weaker than an ant which pulls (food) to its colony?”’

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع ادْعُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لِي فِي الرِّزْقِ فَقَدِ الْتَاثَتْ عَلَيَّ أُمُورِي‌[2] فَأَجَابَنِي مُسْرِعاً لَا اخْرُجْ فَاطْلُبْ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), to pray for me for sustenance; my affairs are turning to the worse.’ He (the Imam) quickly said, ‘No, you must go out and work to make a living.’”