Promoting The Quest For Sustenance And Work To Make A Living

“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.’”

“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?”’

“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 find your sustenance?”’

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), asked about a man, when I was present, and it was said to him, ‘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 provides him his living does a much more powerful worship than his worship.’”

“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 face as bright as the full moon.’”

“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.’”

“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.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), 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 Salam (greeting of peace).” Then say to them, “You must maintain piety before Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious. You must observe such issues through which you can receive whatever of the reward is with Allah. By Allah, I do not command you to do such things that we do not command our own souls to do. You must work hard and strive. After performing your morning Salat (prayer) you must go out early in the morning to work for your sustenance and seek lawful sustenance. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, will grant you sustenance and assists you to find such sustenance.”’

“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)”’

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

“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.’”