“I saw abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), measure dates with his own hands; and I said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I wish you would have ordered certain persons of your servants or sons to help you.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘O Dawud, a Muslim cannot achieve a proper condition without three things: proper understanding of religion, exercising patience in hardships, and proper planning for his living and sustenance.’”