Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Practice the various trades, for there is in them independence for you from what is in the hands of others, and indeed Allah loves the one gainfully engaged in a profession.’
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.), when the clothes merchant, Mu’adh ben Kathir told him, ‘I intend to leave the market while I have some money in hand’, said, ‘Then regard for you will fall and you will not be sought for help with anything.[Ibid. p. 149, no. 10]
الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ وقد قالَ لَهُ مُعاذُ بنُ كثيرٍ بَيّاعُ الأكْسِيَةِ: إنّي قد هَمَمْتُ أنْ أدَعَ السُّوقَ وفي يَدي شَيءٌ ـ: إذَنْ يَسْقُطَ رأيُكَ ولا يُسْتعانَ بكَ علي شيءٍ .
Reference:’[al-Kafi, v. 5, p. 149, no. 10]
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘Whoever sells or buys must avoid five habits, or he should not sell or buy at all: usury, [false] oaths, hiding the defects [of merchandise], praising what he sells, and showing disapproval for what he intends to buy.
رسولُ اللّٰهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): مَن باعَ واشْتَري فلْيَجْتَنِبْخَمسَ خِصالٍ، وإلّا فلا يَبيعَنَّ ولا يَشْتَرِيَنَّ: الرِّبا، والحَلْفَ، وكِتْمانَ العَيبِ، والحمدَ إذا باعَ، والذَّمَّ إذا اشْتَري.
Reference:[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 103, p. 95, no. 18]
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘The timid merchant is often deprived and the bold merchant is often endowed with profit.
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘O merchants! Knowledge [of trading laws and ethics] first, then the trade itself! Knowledge first, then trade! Knowledge first, then trade!’
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘O merchants! Start off by seeking a good outcome from Allah, seek the blessing in easy conduct, draw near to customers, beautify yourselves with clemency, refrain from oaths, abandon lies, avoid wronging, be fair to those being wronged, stay away from usury, and “Observe fully the measure and the balance, with justice, and do not cheat the people of their goods, and do not act wickedly on the earth, causing corruption”
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): يا مَعشرَ التُّجّارِ، قَدِّموا الاسْتِخارةَ، وتَبرَّكوا بالسُّهولةِ، واقتَرِبوا مِن المُبْتاعِينَ، وتَزَيَّنوا بالحِلْمِ، وتَناهَوا عن اليَمينِ، وجانِبوا الكَذِبَ، وتَخافوا (تَجافَوا) عنِ الظُّلْمِ، وأنْصِفوا المظلومِينَ، ولا تَقْرَبوا الرِّبا، وأوْفُوا الكَيْلَ والمِيزانَ، ولا تَبْخَسوا النّاسَ أشياءهُم، ولاتَعْثَوا في الأرضِ مُفسدينَ.
Reference:[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 54, no. 100]
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘Whoever wants to trade must learn his religion thoroughly in order to know what is allowed and what is forbidden for him; and whoever does not learn about his religion and then practice trading will certainly get entangled into uncertainties.’
الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن أرادَ التّجارةَ فلْيَتَفقَّهْ في دِينِهِ لِيَعلمَ بذلكَ ما يَحِلُّ لَهُ مِمّا يَحْرُمُ علَيهِ، ومَن لَم يَتَفقّهْ في دِينِهِ ثُمّ اتّجَرَ تَورَّطَ الشُّبُهاتِ .
Reference:[Wasa’il al-Shi’ah, v. 12, p. 283, no. 4]
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘Any Muslim who excuses another Muslim for a regrettable deal, Allah, the Exalted, will forgive his lapse on the Day of Judgment.’[Ibid. p. 287, no. 4]
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘May Allah bestow mercy on someone who is liberal when he sells, when he buys, when he judges, and when he is judged.’
رسولُ اللّٰهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): رَحِمَ اللّهُ عبداً سَمْحاً إذا باعَ، سَمْحاً إذا اشْتَري، سَمحا إذا قضي، سَمحاً إذا اقْتَضي.
Reference:’[Kanz al-’Ummal, no. 9453]
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) once admonished a man who was selling something, ‘I heard the Prophet (S) saying, ‘Leniency is one way to profit.
Reference:’[Wasa’il al-Shi’ah, v. 12, p. 288, no. 4]
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘O Ali! Do not bargain for four things: when selling the sacrificial animal [for the obligatory pilgrimage], the shroud, the servant, and transportation to Makkah.’
رسولُ اللّٰهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): يا عليُّ، لا تُماكِسْ في أربَعةِ أشياءَ: في شِراءِ الاُضْحِيّةِ، والكفَنِ، والنَّسَمةِ، والكَرْيِ إلي مَكّةَ .
Reference:[al-Khisal, p. 245, no. 103]
Description: Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) said, ‘Bargain with the buyer, even if he makes a generous offer, for the loser in selling or buying is neither praised, nor rewarded.’
Reference:[Wasa’il al-Shi’ah, v. 12, p. 335, no. 2]
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said regarding a man who has a commodity and marks it for sale at a certain price; he would sell it to any silent buyer for the marked price, but he would make a better offer for the bargainer: ‘If he were to make a better offer for two or three men, it would not be a problem; but if he does that for everyone who bargains with him and not for non-bargainers, his deed would not appeal to me. He must be singular in his sale.’
الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ في رجُلٍ عِندَهُ بَيْعٌ، فَسَعّرَهُ سِعْراً مَعلوماً، فمَنْ سَكَتَ عنهُ مِمّنْ يَشْتري مِنهُ باعَهُ بذلكَ السِّعْرِ، ومَن ماكَسَهُ وأبي أنْ يَبْتاعَ مِنهُ زادَهُ ـ: لو كانَ يَزيدُ الرَّجُلَينِ والثَّلاثةَ لم يَكُنْ بذلكَ بَأسٌ، فأمَّا أنْ يَفعَلَهُ بمَن أبي علَيهِ وكايَسَهُ ويَمْنَعَهُ مِمَّن لَم يَفْعَلْ ذلك فلا يُعْجِبُني إلّا أنْ يَبيعَهُ بَيْعاً واحِداً.
Reference:[al-Kafi, v. 5, p. 152, no. 10]
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘The profit of a believer from another is usury, unless he buys with more than one hundred dirhams, whereupon you can profit as much as your day’s sustenance; or if he buys it for trading, then you can profit, but be moderate with them.
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.), when he was asked about the statement: ‘The profit of a believer from another is usury’, replied, ‘That is when equity prevails, and our Qaim [i.e. the Mahdi] appears; but for now, it does not matter.
الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ وقد سُئلَ عنِ الخَبَرِ الّذي رُويَ أنّ رِبْحَ المؤمنِ علي المؤمنِ رِبا، ما هُو ؟ ـ: ذاكَ إذا ظَهرَ الحقُّ وقامَ قائمُنا أهلَ البيتِ، فأمّا اليومَ فلا بأسَ.
Reference:’[Wasa’il al-Shi’ah, v. 12, p. 294, no. 4]
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘Verily the merchants are the debauchers.’ They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah! But has Allah not made trading lawful?’ He said, ‘Yes, but they lie when they speak, and they take [false] oaths and incur sins.
رسول اللّه (صَلَّيَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إنّ التُّجّارَ هُمُ الفُجّارُ. قالوا: يا رسولَ اللّهِ، أليسَ قد أحلَّ اللّهُ البَيْعَ؟ قالَ: بلي، ولكنَّهُم يُحَدِّثونَ فيَكْذِبونَ، ويَحْلِفونَ فيَأثَمونَ.
Reference:’[Kanz al-’Ummal, no. 9451]
Description: It is narrated in Kanz al-’Ummal: ‘ Ali used to go to the market and stand in his usual place to say, ‘Peace be upon you, O people of the market! Fear Allah in your oaths, for the oath degrades the commodity and drives away the blessing. The merchant is iniquitous except for he who takes and gives only what is right.
كان عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) يَجيء إلي السُّوقِ فيقومُ مَقاما له، فيقولُ: السّلامُ عليكم أهلَ السُّوقِ، اتَّقوا اللّهَ في الحَلْفِ، فإنّ الحَلفَ يُزجيالسِّلْعَةَ ويَمْحَقُ البَرَكةَ، التّاجرُ فاجرٌ إلّا مَن أخذَ الحقَّ وأعْطاهُ .
Reference:’[Kanz al-’Ummal, no. 10043]
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘The trustworthy honest Muslim merchant will be with the martyrs on the Day of Judgment.’
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘All that you see with your own eye and that your heart finds pleasing, make it for Allah, for this is the trade of the Hereafter. Allah says, “What is with you depletes, while what is with Allah is eternal”.
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘The merchant of this world risks his money and and his soul, while the merchant of the Hereafter is a profiting winner: his first profit is his soul and then the eternal Paradise.’