2 - الإجارة

2. EMPLOYMENT

3 - الإجارَةُ وَ المَعيشَةُ

3. Employment and Livlihood

(أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضاً سُخْرِيّاً وَرَحْمَةُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِمّا يَجْمَعُونَ) .¹

"Is it they who dispense the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have dispensed among them their livelihood in the present life, and raised some of them above others in rank, so that some may take others into service, and your Lord's mercy is better than what they amass." ²

(قالَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا يَا أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْأَمِينُ)³ .

"One of the two women said, 'Father, hire him. Indeed the best you can hire is a powerful and trustworthy man." ⁴

13.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - في قولِهِ تعالى‏ : (نحنُ قَسَمنا بينهم معيشَتهم) - : أخبرَنا سبحانَه أنَّ الإجارةَ أحدُ مَعايشِ الخَلْقِ ، إذ خالفَ بحكمتِهِ بينَ هِمَمِهم وإرادتهِم وسائرِ حالاتِهم ، وجعلَ ذلكَ قِواماً لِمَعايِشِ الخَلْقِ ، وهُو الرّجُلُ يَستأجِرُ الرّجُلَ ... ولو كانَ الرّجُلُ منّا يُضْطَرُّ إلى‏ أن يكونَ بَنّاءً لنفسهِ أو نَجّاراً أو صانعاً في شي‏ءٍ مِن جميعِ أنواعِ‏الصَّنائعِ لنفسِهِ ... ما استقامَتْ أحوالُ العالَمِ بتلكَ ، ولا اتّسعُوا لَه ، ولَعَجِزوا عَنهُ ، ولكنّهُ أتْقَنَ تدبيرَهُ لِمخالَفتِهِ بينَ هِمَمِهِم ، وكلُّ ما يُطلَبُ مِمّا تَنصَرِفُ إليهِ همّتُهُ ممّا يَقومُ بهِ بعضُهُم لبعضٍ ، ولِيَستَغنيَ بعضُهُم ببعضٍ في أبوابِ المَعايِشِ الّتي بها صَلاحُ أحوالِهِم .⁵

13.Imam Ali (AS) said about the verse: "It is We who have dispensed among them their livelihood", 'Allah, the Exalted, told us that employyment is one of the means of people's livelihood. He, in His wisdom, diversified their aspirations, motivations, and other states. Thus, He made man's employment of one another one of the means of people's livelihood ... If every one of us was forced to build for himself, make his own furniture, and produce everything himself... the world's conditions would not be bearable and people would not be able to endure them, and would find them impossible. But He ensured its management by diversifying their aspirations so that everyone performs for others that which is compatible with his own capacity, in order for some of them to be served by others and for their conditions to be sound.' ⁶

2 - فَضلُ المُؤثِرينَ‏

2. The Virtue of Altruistic People

(وَالَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُو الدَّارَ وَ الْإِيمانَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَ لَا يَجِدُونَ فِى صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِّمَّا أُوتُوا وَ يُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى‏ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ وَ مَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ) .¹

"[They are as well] for those who were settled in the land and [abided] in faith before them, who love those who migrate toward them, and do not find in their breasts any need for that which is given to them, but prefer [the Immigrants] to themselves, though poverty be their own lot. And those who are saved from their own greed - it is they who are the felicitous." ²

9.الأمالي للطوسي عن أبي هريرة : جاءَ رجُلٌ إلى‏ النّبيِّ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله ، فَشَكا إلَيه الجُوعَ ، فَبَعثَ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله إلى‏ بُيوتِ أزواجِه فقُلْنَ : ما عندَنا إلّا الماءُ . فقالَ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : مَن لِهذا الرّجُلِ اللّيلةَ ؟ فقالَ عليُّ بنُ أبي طالبٍ عليه السلام : أنا له يا رسولَ اللَّهِ . وأتى‏ فاطمةَ عليها السلام فقالَ لها : ما عندَكِ يا ابنةَ رسولِ اللَّهِ ؟ فقالتْ : ما عندَنا إلّا قُوتُ الصبيّة ، لكِنّا نُؤثِرُ ضَيْفَنا ، فقالَ عليه السلام : يا ابنةَ محمّدٍ ، نَوِّمي الصِّبْيَةَ وأطفئي المِصْباحَ . فلَمّا أصْبَحَ عليٌّ عليه السلام غَدا على‏ رسولِ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله فأخبَرهُ الخبَر ، فلَمْ يَبْرَحْ حتّى‏ أنزلَ اللَّهُ‏عزّوجلّ : (ويُؤثِرون ...)³ .

9. Abu Hurayra narrated, 'A man came to the Prophet (SAWA) and complained to him of hunger, so the Prophet (SAWA) sent a messenger to the homes of his wives, but they said that they had nothing but water. The Prophet (SAWA) asked, 'Who can host this man tonight?' Ali b. Abu Talib (AS) said, 'I will host him, O Messenger of Allah.' He came to Fatima (AS) and asked her, 'What do you have, O daughter of the Prophet?' She said, 'We only have food for tonight, but we would rather give it to our guest.' He (AS) said, 'O Daughter of Muhammad. Take the children to bed and put off the lamp.' The next morning, Ali (AS) came to the Prophet (SAWA) and told him the story. No sooner had he left than Allah, the Exalted, revealed the verse: "...but prefer [others] to themselves..." ⁴

10.تنبيه الخواطر عن عائشة : ما شَبِعَ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله ثَلاثةَ أيّامٍ مُتَواليةٍ حتّى‏ فارَقَ الدُّنيا . ولَو شاءَ لَشَبِعَ ، ولكنَّهُ كانَ يُؤْثِرُ على‏ نَفْسِهِ‏⁵ .

10. Aisha narrated, 'The Prophet (SAWA) had never spent three consecutive days having eaten to his full until he left this world, although he could have, had he wanted to; but he used to place others before himself.' ⁶

11.مجمع البيان عن أبي الطفيل : اشتَرى‏ عليٌّ عليه السلام ثَوباً ، فأعجَبَهُ فتَصدَّقَ بهِ ، وقالَ : سَمِعتُ رسولَ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله يقولُ : مَن آثرَ على‏ نفسِهِ آثَرهُ اللَّهُ يومَ القيامةِ الجَنّةَ⁷ .

11. Abu al-Tufayl narrated, 'Ali (AS) bought a gown, which he liked, but he gave it away in charity. He said, 'I heard the Prophet (SAWA) saying, 'When a person places others before himself, Allah, the Exalted, will places him before others in Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.' ⁸

12.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام - في قَولِهِ تَعالى‏ : (وَ يُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى‏ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَ يَتِيمًا وَ أَسِيرًا) - : كانَ عِندَ فاطِمَةَ عليها السلام شَعيرٌ ، فَجَعَلوهُ عَصيدَةً ، فَلَمّا أنضَجوها ووَضَعوها بَينَ أيديهِم جاءَ مِسكينٌ، فَقالَ المِسكينُ : رَحِمَكُمُ اللَّهُ ! أطعِمونا مِمّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ ، فَقامَ عَلِيٌّ عليه السلام فَأَعطاهُ ثُلُثَها. فَما لَبِثَ أن جاءَ يَتيمٌ ، فَقالَ اليَتيمُ : رَحِمَكُمُ اللَّهُ ! أطعِمونا مِمّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ ، فَقامَ عَلِيٌّ عليه السلام فَأَعطاهُ ثُلُثَهَا الثّانِيَ. فَما لَبِثَ أن جاءَ أسيرٌ ، فَقالَ الأَسيرُ : يَرحَمُكُمُ اللَّهُ ! أطعِمونا مِمّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ ، فَقامَ عَلِيٌّ عليه السلام فَأعطاهُ الثُّلُثَ الباقِيَ ، وما ذاقوها. فَأَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فيهِم هذِهِ الآيَةَ إلى‏ قَولِهِ : (وَ كَانَ سَعْيُكُم مَّشْكُورًا) .⁹

12.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Fatima (AS) had some barley which she made into a sweet paste. When they had finished cooking it and placed it on the table, a poor man came and said, 'May Allah have mercy upon you.' Ali (AS) stood up and gave him a third of it. Soon afterwards, an orphan came and said, 'May Allah have mercy upon you.' Ali (AS) stood up and gave him a third. Soon afterwards, a prisoner of war came and said, 'May Allah have mercy upon you.' So Ali (AS) gave him the last third, and they did not even taste it. So Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Qur'anic verses honouring them, and they apply to every believer who does the same for the sake of Allah, the Exalted.' ¹⁰