Rare Ahadith

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that my assets are gone, my belongings have scattered and I have a large family. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘When you arrive in al-Kufah, open your shop, set up your display and balance and engage in (earning) sustenance from your Lord.’ Upon his arrival he opened his shop, set up his display and balance. People around found it strange knowing that there was nothing in his home of assets or with him. A man came to him and asked (and paid) him to buy for him cloths. He bought it (perhaps on credit) for him and received the payment for it which remained with him. Then another man came and said, ‘Buy for me a cloth.’ He searched in the market for him, and then bought it for him and the payment for it remained in his hand. This was how business people exchanged goods among themselves. Then another man came and said, ‘O abu ‘Ummarah, I have a bundle of Kattan. Do you want to buy it to pay me after one year?’ He replied, ‘Yes, load it and deliver to me.’ It was delivered to him and he bought it to pay after one year. The man then left and a man from the market came and asked, ‘O abu ‘Ummarah, what is this bundle?’ He replied, ‘I have purchased this bundle.’ He asked, ‘Can you sell to me one-half of it and keep the price with you?’ He then purchased it and he gave him one-half of the goods for a payment of one-half of the price which remained in his hand for one year. He then would buy cloths with that fund, put one or two cloths on display, buy and sell, until he became affluent, able to show his face and find fame.’”

“A certain person of our people lived in al-Madinah and he suffered severe constraints. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to him, ‘You must go to find a shop in the market, set up your display and keep a jar of water with you and guard the door of your shop. He (the narrator) has said that he followed the instruction and remained in that condition as long as Allah wanted. Then a company of people came from Egypt. Every one of them left their goods with people whom each one knew until shops became full. Only one man was left who did not find a shop to store his goods. People of the market told him that there is man who has no problems and there are no goods in his shop. You can store your goods in his shop. He went to him and asked him, ‘Can I store my goods in your shop?’ He replied, ‘Yes, you can do so.’ He stored his goods in his shop and he began to sell his goods one by one until it was time for his companions to leave and of his goods very little was left. He did not like to stay, so he said to our friend, ‘I leave these goods with you to sell and send the proceeds to me.’ He agreed. The company left as well as the man along with them, leaving the goods with him. Our companion sold the goods and sent the proceeds to him. He (the narrator) has said that when the company from Egypt left, he sent goods to this man and he sold them and sent the proceeds to him. When he experienced this he stayed in Egypt and would send goods to him prepared. He (the narrator) has said that he was set at the right course, thus, he became affluent and rich.”

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘If one searches for little amounts of sustenance it leads to attract greater amounts of sustenance, and if one gives up small amounts of sustenance it leads to going away of the greater amount of sustenance.’”

“One day I saw Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar pack his bag, ready to move, when a man came asking to exchange dirham with dinar. He opened his bag, gave him dirham and took the dinar. I then said, ‘Allah is free of all defects, how dinar can be better?’ Ishaq said, ‘I did not do it because of my interest in dinar, but I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, “One who considers a small amount of sustenance little becomes deprived of a great deal of sustenance.’””

“I once was with Ishaq ibn ‘ Ammar al-Sayrafiy when a man came and he wanted something for a dinar but he had closed the shop and had sealed the sack. He then gave him the item for a dinar. I then said, ‘Fie on you, O Ishaq! I could have picked up for you a hundred thousand dirham from the ship.’ He said to me, ‘I had the same attitude but I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, “Whoever belittles a small amount of sustenance is deprived of its greater amount.” Then he (the Imam) turned to me and said, “O Ishaq, do not belittle small amounts of sustenance; otherwise, you will be deprived of its greater amount.’””