Earning Lawful kind of Sustenance

“Once I asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, please pray for me to Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, so He grants me lawful sustenance.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘Do you know what lawful sustenance is?’ I replied, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, according to our information it is clean earning.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Ali ibn Al-Husayn (a.s.), would say, ‘Lawful sustenance is the sustenance of the chosen ones.’ You, however, should say, ‘I pray to You to grant me wide-ranging sustenance.’”

“Once abu Ja‘far (a.s.), looked at a man who said, ‘O Lord, I pray to You to grant me lawful sustenance.’ Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), said, ‘You have asked of the kind of sustenance of the prophets. Say, “O Lord, grant me of Your extended and clean sustenance.’””