محمد بن أبي عمير زياد بن عيسى

“About a man who receives a certain amount to perform al-Hajj for another person and he does not perform al-Hajj but he dies and leaves nothing behind. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If the man hiring himself has performed al-Hajj, it is taken from him to be given to the owner of the asset; but if he has not performed, the reward for performing al-Hajj is written for the owner of the asset.’”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Meetings are a trust (that attendants must not violate).”

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Islam is to spare lives, protect the trust and make the marriage lawful, but reward comes from faith and belief.’”

“Faith or belief is to affirm and act accordingly. Islam is just an affirmation.”

“My father called me at the time of his death and said, ‘Son, take the assets of your small brothers and use them in business. Take half of the profit and give them the other half and you will not be held responsible.’ A mother of the child of my father took me, after the death of my father, before ibn abu Layla’ and said to him, ‘This person eats the property of my children.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I then told my story that my father had commanded me to do.’ Ibn abu Layla’ said, ‘If your father commanded you to do what is unlawful, I cannot allow it.’ Ibn abu Layla’ appointed a witness (to bear testimony) that if I moved it I will be held responsible. I then visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), later and told my story, then asked about his opinion. He (the Imam) said, ‘I cannot reject the words of ibn abu Layla’, however, between you and Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, you are not responsible.’”

“I once bought a slave-girl for abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and he (the Imam) gave me four dinars but I declined. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must take it’ and I took it and he (the Imam) said, ‘You must not take anything from the seller.’”

“I heard abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘There are three issues in which one has no choice: They are safe return of trust of a virtuous or sinful person, keeping one’s promise to a virtuous or sinful person, and kindness to parents, regardless, of their being virtuous or sinful ones.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.). ‘There are four thousand dirhams of a Jew or a Christian and he has died. Is it permissible to reach a settlement about it with his heirs without informing them of the amount?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, until you inform them of the amount.’”

“‘Isma’il, son of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), had a certain amount of dinar and a man from Quraysh wanted to travel to Yemen, so ‘Isma’il asked his father, ’Father, so and so wants to go to Yemen and I have so and so amount of dinar. Do you think I should give it to him to bring for me goods from Yemen?’ Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘Are you not aware that he drinks wine?’ ‘Isma’il replied, ‘Yes, this is what people say about him.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Son, do not give him your dinars.’ ‘Isma’il disobeyed his father and gave the dinars to him. He used them and did not bring anything. ‘Isma’il traveled, so also abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), for al-Hajj in that year. ‘Isma’il, when performing Tawaf would say, ‘O Lord, grant me reward and replace for me what I have lost.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), approached him and tapped him with his hand and said, ‘Hold it my son, by Allah, you have no ground for your argument before Allah and you have no right for receiving any reward or replacement for what you have lost, when you knew that he drank wine and you still trusted him.’ ‘Isma’il said, ‘O father, I did not see him drinking wine. I only heard people say so.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘My son, Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, says in His book, “He believes in Allah and in the believers,” (9:62) meaning he accepts (the words of) Allah (as true words) and accepts (the words of) the believers (as true words). When the believers testify before you then accept their words as true and do not trust one who drinks wine; Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, says in His book, “You must not give your assets to dimwitted ones.” (4:5) Who can be more dimwitted than one who drinks wine? The speech (advice) of one who drinks wine has no beneficial effect, his intercession is useless and he is not trusted in matters of trust. Whoever entrusts him with his assets and he destroys it, such person does not deserve any reward from Allah for his loss or replacement from Allah.’”

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the borrowed item; if the borrower was held liable for it. He (the Imam) said, ‘If whatever you borrow is destroyed, you are not held liable except gold and silver; which bring liability unless it is stipulated that even on being destroyed you are not held liable. You are held liable for all that you borrow and it is stipulated that you are liable. Gold and silver bring liability, even if no stipulation is set.’”

“About the case of a man who claims that Wadi‘ah (safe deposit) were entrusted assets, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a borrowed item is destroyed with the borrower he is not held liable unless it is stipulated.”’ In another Hadith it is said that if the borrower is a just Muslim he is not held liable.

I asked Imam (as) about a man who has wealth in his possession as a deposit (wadi'ah). Can he take from it without the owner's permission? Imam (as) said: "He should not take from it unless he has the means to repay it." I then asked: "What if he finds someone who guarantees it for him, but he himself does not have the means to repay, and he has the guarantor testify on his behalf, can he take from it?" Imam (as) said: "Yes."

Abu `Abdillah al-Sadiq (as) said to a man from his companions: Shall I not inform you of the reason why Salman and Abu Dharr (rh) embraced Islam? So, the man said – and he made a mistake: As for the Islam of Salman, I know it, so inform me why Abu Dharr came to Islam. So, Abu `Abdillah al-Sadiq (as) said: Surely, Aba Dharr (rh) was in the middle of Murr (a juncture near Mecca) herding his sheep when a wolf came to the right of his sheep. So, Abu Dharr scared it away with his staff. Then, the wolf came to the left of his sheep. So, Abu Dharr scared it away with his staff. Then, Abu Dharr said to it: “By Allah, I have not seen a wolf that is more wretched and eviller than you.” So, the wolf said: “By Allah, the people of Mecca are eviller than me, for Allah sent them a prophet, yet they belied him and insulted him.” The words went to the ears of Abi Dharr, so he said to his sister: “Take my feeding bowl, my vessel, and my staff.” Then, he ran until he reached Mecca. He found a circle [of people] gathered, so he sat among them. They were insulting and abusing the Prophet (s), just as the wolf had said. So, Abu Dharr said: “This, by Allah, is what the wolf had informed me.” They continued doing this until the day had ended and Abu Talib proceeded. One of them said to the other: “Stop, for his uncle has come.” When he came closer to them, they honoured him. Abu Talib did not stop speaking to them until they dispersed. When Abu Talib stood, I followed him. Then, he turned to me and said: “What do you need?” So, I said: “This prophet has been raised among you.” He said: “What do you need from him?” So, Abu Dharr said to him: “I want to believe in him and accept him. He will not command me to do a thing except that I will obey him.” So, Abu Talib said: “Do you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?” He said: I said: “Yes. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” Then, he said: “Tomorrow morning at such-and-such hour, come to me.” He said: The next morning, Abu Dharr came. He found the circle gathered, and he found them insulting and abusing the Prophet (s), just as the wolf had said. He sat with them until Abu Talib proceeded. One of them said to the other: “Stop, for his uncle has come.” So, they stopped, and Abu Talib came and sat down. He did not stop speaking to them until he stood. When he stood, Abu Dharr followed him. Then, Abu Talib turned to him and said: “What do you need?” So, he said: “This prophet that was raised among you.” He said: “What do you need from him?” He said: He said to him: “I want to believe in him and accept him. He will not command me to do a thing except that I will obey him.” So, Abu Talib said: “Do you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?” He said: I said: “Yes. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” So, he took me to a house, within which was Ja`far b. Abi Talib. He said: When I entered, I delivered the salaam, and he returned the salaam. Then, he said: “What do you need?” He said: So, I said: “This prophet that was raised among you.” He said: “What do you need from him?” I said: “I want to believe in him and accept him. He will not command me to do a thing except that I will obey him.” He said: “Do you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?” I said: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” So, he took me to a house, within which was Hamza b. `Abd al-Muttalib. When I entered, I delivered the salaam, and he returned the salaam. Then, he said: “What do you need?” So, I said: “This prophet that was raised among you.” He said: “What do you need from him?” I said: “I want to believe in him and accept him. He will not command me to do a thing except that I will obey him.” He said: “Do you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?” I said: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” He said: So, he took me to a house, within which was `Ali b. Abi Talib. When I entered, I delivered the salaam, and he returned the salaam. Then, he said: “What do you need?” So, I said: “This prophet that was raised among you.” He said: “What do you need from him?” I said: “I want to believe in him and accept him. He will not command me to do a thing except that I will obey him.” He said: “Do you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?” I said: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” He said: So, he took me to a house, within which was the Messenger of Allah (s). I found him to be light upon light. When I entered, I delivered the salaam, and he returned the salaam. Then, he said: “What do you need?” He said: So, I said: “This prophet that was raised among you.” He said: “What do you need from him?” I said: “I want to believe in him and accept him. He will not command me to do a thing except that I will obey him.” He said: “Do you bear witness that there is no god but Allah, one without partners, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?” I said: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, one without partners, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” So, he (s) said: “I am the Messenger of Allah. O Aba Dharr! Go to your city, for you will find that you have a cousin that has died. Take his wealth [as inheritance] and stay with it until my Order becomes public.” Abu Dharr said: I went to my city, and I found that my cousin had died. He left much wealth behind at that time that the Messenger of Allah (s) had informed me of. I held onto his wealth cautiously and I remained in my city until the Order of the Messenger of Allah (s) became public. Then, I went to him.

Muhammad b. Abi Umayr was a cloth merchant whose wealth perished and he fell into poverty, however he had loaned out ten thousand silver coins to someone, so the one he owed sold his house which he used to live in at a price of ten thousand silver coins and carried the whole sum to his (Ibn Abi Umayr’s) door, so Muhammad b. Abi Umayr came out to him and said: what is this? he said: this is your money which was due upon me, he said: you have inherited it? he said: no, he said: it has been gifted to you? he said: no, he said: is it the price of a land you have sold? He said: no, he said: then what is it? he said: I sold my house in which I live in so that I can repay my debt, so Muhammad b. Abi Umayr said: Dharih al-Muharibi narrated to me from Abi Abdillah that he said: a man is not driven out of his place of residence (his home) because of debt, take it away for I have no need of it, by Allah even though I do have a need of even a single silver coin at this time – I will not take a single one of them into my possession.

“Four things are incumbent to do for anyone who has the following three characteristics: one who doesn’t lie to the people when he talks; one who doesn’t oppress the people in his dealings with them; one who doesn’t act opposite to what he promises. Such a person has perfect chivalry and justice. It is incumbent support his justness; to act like a brother with him; support his justness; not gossip about him; treat him like a brother.”

I heard the Master of Worshipers `Ali b. al-Husayn b. `Ali b. Abi Talib (as) say to his Shi`a: Betake to fulfilling trusts, for by He who truly raised Muhammad as a prophet, if a killer of my father al-Husayn b. `Ali (as) were to entrust me with the sword that he used to kill him, I would fulfill the trust to him.

I heard al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) say: Fulfill trusts, even to a killer of al-Husayn b. `Ali (as).

A Muslim is one whom people are at safety from his hand and tongue, and a believer is the one whom people trust (as a guardian) upon their property and (upon) themselves.