Chapter on Deposits (wadi'ah)

صَاحِبُ الْوَدِيعَةِ وَ الْبِضَاعَةِ مُؤْتَمَنَانِ.

"The trustee of a deposit (wadi'ah) and the trustee of merchandise (bida'ah) are both considered trustworthy."

قَالَ‌[1] فِي رَجُلٍ اسْتَأْجَرَ أَجِيراً فَأَقْعَدَهُ عَلَى مَتَاعِهِ فَسُرِقَ قَالَ هُوَ مُؤْتَمَنٌ‌[2].

Hadith.4088 - Imam (as) was asked about a man who hired a laborer and entrusted him to guard his goods, but the goods were stolen. Imam (as) said: "He is considered trustworthy."

كَتَبَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى الْفَقِيهِ ع[3] فِي رَجُلٍ دَفَعَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ وَدِيعَةً وَ أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَضَعَهَا فِي مَنْزِلِهِ أَوْ لَمْ يَأْمُرْهُ فَوَضَعَهَا الرَّجُلُ فِي مَنْزِلِ جَارِهِ فَضَاعَتْ هَلْ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ إِذَا خَالَفَ أَمْرَهُ أَوْ أَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ مِلْكِهِ فَوَقَّعَ ع هُوَ ضَامِنٌ لَهَا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى.

A man wrote to the 'Jurist' (Imam Hasan ibn Ali Al-Askari (as)) regarding a case where someone entrusted another person with a deposit (wadi'ah) and instructed him to keep it in his own house, or gave no specific instruction. However, the man placed it in his neighbor's house, and it was lost. Does he bear responsibili

لَهُ الرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ الْمَالُ وَدِيعَةً يَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِ صَاحِبِهِ قَالَ لَا يَأْخُذْ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ وَفَاءٌ[5] وَ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنْ وَجَدَ مَنْ يَضْمَنُهُ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَفَاءٌ وَ أَشْهَدَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الَّذِي يَضْمَنُهُ‌[6] يَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ.

I asked Imam (as) about a man who has wealth in his possession as a deposit (wadi'ah). Can he take from it without the owner's permission? Imam (as) said: "He should not take from it unless he has the means to repay it." I then asked: "What if he finds someone who guarantees it for him, but he himself does not have the

لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنِّي كُنْتُ اسْتَوْدَعْتُ رَجُلًا مَالًا فَجَحَدَنِيهِ وَ حَلَفَ لِي عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ جَاءَنِي بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ بِسَنَتَيْنِ‌[2] بِالْمَالِ الَّذِي أَوْدَعْتُهُ إِيَّاهُ فَقَالَ هَذَا مَالُكَ فَخُذْهُ وَ هَذِهِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ رَبِحْتُهَا فَهِيَ لَكَ مَعَ مَالِكَ وَ اجْعَلْنِي فِي حِلٍّ فَأَخَذْتُ مِنْهُ الْمَالَ وَ أَبَيْتُ أَنْ آخُذَ الرِّبْحَ مِنْهُ وَ وَقَفْتُ الْمَالَ الّ

I said to Abu Abdullah (as): "I had entrusted a man with some wealth, but he denied it and swore an oath against it. After two years, he returned to me with the wealth I had entrusted him and said, This is your wealth, take it. And here are four thousand dirhams I earned as profit, it is also yours. Please forgive me.'

لَهُ الرَّجُلُ إِنَّمَا كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ قَرْضاً وَ قَالَ الْآخَرُ إِنَّمَا كَانَتْ وَدِيعَةً فَقَالَ الْمَالُ لَازِمٌ لَهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يُقِيمَ الْبَيِّنَةَ إِنَّمَا كَانَتْ وَدِيعَةً.

Hadith.4092 - Ishaq ibn Ammar asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a man who entrusted another man with one thousand dirhams, but the money was lost. The trustee claimed that the amount was a loan, while the depositor insisted it was a deposit (wadi'ah). Imam (as) said: "The money is binding upon him (the trustee) unless he p

وَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِلصَّادِقِ ع إِنِّي ائْتَمَنْتُ رَجُلًا عَلَى مَالٍ أَوْدَعْتُهُ إِيَّاهُ عِنْدَهُ فَخَانَنِي فِيهِ وَ أَنْكَرَ مَالِي فَقَالَ ع لَمْ يَخُنْكَ الْأَمِينُ وَ لَكِنَّكَ ائْتَمَنْتَ الْخَائِنَ‌[4].

Hadith.4093 - A man said to Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as): "I entrusted a man with wealth, or I deposited it with him, but he betrayed me and denied having my wealth." Imam (as) said: "The trustworthy one did not betray you, but rather, you entrusted a traitor."