Al-Kāfi - The Book of Commerce

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Commerce Chapter: The Amount a Supervisor of the Properties of Orphans Can Lawfully Use ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَ٠َاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) فِي قَوْلِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَ٠َنْ كانَ فَقِيراً فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْ٠َعْرُوفِ فَقَالَ ٠َنْ كَانَ يَلِي شَيْئاً لِلْيَتَا٠ُحْتَاجٌ لَيْسَ لَهُ ٠ُهُ فَهُوَ يَتَقَاضَى أَ٠ُ فِي ضَيْعَتِهِ٠ْ فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِقَدَرٍ وَلا يُسْرِفْ وَإِنْ كَانَ ضَيْعَتُهُ٠ْ لا تَشْغَلُهُ عَ٠َّا يُعَالِجُ لِنَفْسِهِ فَلا يَرْزَأَنَّ ٠1.

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘One who is poor can eat to the proper limit’, (4:6) abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is one who manages the properties of orphans but is needy and does not have anything to support himself.

He collects debts that people owe to them (orphans) and looks after them, he can eat from their assets only what he needs without excess, but if their assets do not take his time to work for his own-self, then he must not use anything of the properties of the orphans.’” وثق - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (9/96))