Muhammad ibn Yaqub, from Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Hammad ibn Isa, from Hariz, from Burayd ibn Muawiyah, who said: I heard Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, saying: “Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, peace be upon him, sent a collector of charity (musaddiq) from al-Kufah to its desert, so Imam عليه السلام said to him: ‘Go forth, O servant of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, and upon you is the fear of Allah سبحانه وتعالى alone, who has no partner, and never prefer your world over your Hereafter. Be a guardian over what I have entrusted you with, observing the right of Allah سبحانه وتعالى in it, until you come to the assembly of the Banu ‘so-and-so’. When you arrive, then stop at their water without mixing with their houses, then proceed to them with calmness and dignity until you stand among them and greet them. Then say to them: ‘O servants of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the wali of Allah سبحانه وتعالى has sent me to you so that I may take from you the right of Allah سبحانه وتعالى in your wealth. Is there a right of Allah سبحانه وتعالى in your wealth, so that you may pay it to His سبحانه وتعالى wali?’ If someone says to you: ‘No’, then do not return to him. But if one of them responds affirmatively to you, then go with him without frightening him or promising him anything except good. When you come to his wealth, do not enter it except with his permission, for most of it belongs to him. So say to him: ‘O servant of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, do you permit me to enter your wealth?’ If he permits you, then do not enter with the entry of one who dominates him in it, nor one who is harsh with him. Divide the wealth into two divisions, then give him the choice of whichever of the two divisions he wishes. Whichever of them he chooses, do not object to him. Then divide the remaining into two divisions, then give him the choice, and whichever of them he chooses, do not object to him. Continue like that until there remains that in which there is fulfilment of the right of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic, in his wealth. When that remains, then take the right of Allah سبحانه وتعالى from it. If he asks you to release him from the transaction, then release him; then mix them both together and do the like of what you did first, until you take the right of Allah سبحانه وتعالى in his wealth. When you have taken it, do not appoint over it except one who is sincere, compassionate, trustworthy, preserving, and not harsh with anything from it. Then bring down to us what has gathered with you from every assembly, so that we may place it where Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic, has commanded. When your messenger brings them down, then instruct him not to separate a she-camel from her young one (fasil), and not to separate between them, and not to withhold her milk, lest that harm her young one. He should not exhaust her (she-camel) by riding, and he should be just among them in that. He should bring them (camels) to every water he passes by, and he should not turn them away from the plants of the earth to the middle of the roads at the hour in which they rest and are milked in the evening. He should be gentle with them (camels) to the utmost of his ability until they come to us, by the permission of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, healthy, fat, not tired and not exhausted. Then we shall divide them, by the permission of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, according to the Book of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and the Sunnah of His Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, among the awliya of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Indeed, that is greater for your reward and nearer to your right guidance. Allah سبحانه وتعالى looks at them, and at you, and at your effort, and your sincerity toward the one who sent you and toward whose need you were sent. For indeed, the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, said: ‘Allah سبحانه وتعالى does not look at a wali of His سبحانه وتعالى who exerts himself in obedience and sincerity toward his Imam, except that he will be with us in the highest company.’” He (narrator) said: “Then Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, wept. Then Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “O Burayd, by Allah سبحانه وتعالى, no sanctity of Allah سبحانه وتعالى has remained except that it has been violated, and neither the Book of Allah سبحانه وتعالى nor the Sunnah of His Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم has been acted upon in this world, And no legal punishment has been established among this creation since Allah سبحانه وتعالى took Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, peace be upon him, and nothing of the truth has been acted upon until this day of the people.” Then Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “Indeed, by Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the days and nights will not pass until Allah سبحانه وتعالى gives life to the dead, causes the living to die, returns the truth to its people, and establishes His سبحانه وتعالى religion which He سبحانه وتعالى approved for Himself سبحانه وتعالى and His Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. So rejoice, then rejoice, for by Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the truth is only in your hands.”