Detestability of Offering Oneself for Hire

Al-Kāfi|Volume 5|Book 2|Chapter 16

Al-Kāfi

Volume 5, Book 2, Chapter 16

Detestability of Offering Oneself for Hire
3 Aḥadīth
Ḥadīth 1

1- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ بَزِيعٍ عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ يُونُسَ عَنِ الْمُفَضَّلِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ مَنْ آجَرَ نَفْسَهُ فَقَدْ حَظَرَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرِّزْقَ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى وَكَيْفَ لا يَحْظُرُهُ وَمَا أَصَابَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ لِرَبِّهِ الَّذِي آجَرَهُ.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Isma’il ibn Bazi’ from Mansur ibn Yunus from al-Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar who has said the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ’One who offers himself for hire prohibits sustenance to himself . 5 In another Hadith it is said that how can it be anything other than prohibition when whatever one finds goes to his master? 5 ”

Ḥadīth 2

2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ بُنْدَارَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الإجَارَةِ فَقَالَ صَالِحٌ لا بَأْسَ بِهِ إِذَإ نَصَحَ قَدْرَ طَاقَتِهِ قَدْ آجَرَ مُوسَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) نَفْسَهُ وَاشْتَرَطَ فَقَالَ إِنْ شِئْتُ ثَمَانِيَ وَإِنْ شِئْتُ عَشْراً فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِيهِ أَنْ تَأْجُرَنِي ثَمانِيَ حِجَجٍ فَإِنْ أَتْمَمْتَ عَشْراً فَمِنْ عِنْدِكَ.

2. Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Bandar has narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father from ibn Sinan who said: “I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man who places himself for hire, and he said, 'It is permissible and there is no harm in it as long as he is sincere to the best of his ability. Musa (as) placed himself for hire and stipulated, saying, "If you wish, [I will work] for eight years, and if you wish, for ten." And Allah, the Exalted, revealed concerning this: 'That you serve me for eight years; but if you complete ten, that will be [a favor] from you.' (28:27)“

Ḥadīth 3

3- أَحْمَدُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو عَنْ عَمَّارٍ السَّابَاطِيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) الرَّجُلُ يَتَّجِرُ فَإِنْ هُوَ آجَرَ نَفْسَهُ أُعْطِيَ مَا يُصِيبُ فِي تِجَارَتِهِ فَقَالَ لا يُؤَاجِرْ نَفْسَهُ وَلَكِنْ يَسْتَرْزِقُ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَيَتَّجِرُ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا آجَرَ نَفْسَهُ حَظَرَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرِّزْقَ.

3. Ahmad his has narrated from his father from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr from al-Sabatiy who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who places himself for hire; if what he achieves he has to give it all. He (the Imam) said, ‘He should not place himself for hire; instead ask sustenance from Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and himself do business, because if one places himself for hire he prohibits sustenance upon himself . 555