سورة البقرة

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It was said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "We visit the home of our brother who is the guardian of some orphans, and they also have a servant. We sit on their carpet, drink from their water, and their servant serves us, and sometimes we eat food there at our brother's — some of it is his own and some is from the property of those orphans. What is the ruling on this?" The Imam replied: "If by your going to them you bring them benefit, there is no problem; but if by this act you cause them harm, you must not go to them. And Allah said: A person is aware of his own state, and you are aware of your own (good and bad). And Allah also said: وَإِنْ تُخَالِطُوهُمْ فَإِخْوَانُکُمْ وَاللّهُ یَعْلَمُ الْمُفْسِدَ مِنَ الْمُصْلِحِ [And if you mix with them, they are your brethren; and Allah knows the mischief-maker from the reformer]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sama'ah said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the verse وَإِنْ تُخَالِطُوهمْ فَإِخْوَانُکُمْ [And if you become co-partners with them, they are your brethren], and the Imam answered: If a man has orphans under his guardianship, he must set aside from his own wealth the amount appropriate for each of those orphans — the amount that is usually set aside for one person — and mix it with theirs, and they should all consume it together. That man must not assume that a portion of their wealth belongs to him [and that he has the right to dispose of it], for [the outcome of] this act is fire.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Abu al-Sabbah al-Kinani that Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said regarding the verse وَمَن کَانَ فَقِیرًا فَلْیأْکُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ [And whoever is poor, let him consume in a fair manner]: "If a person who looks after an orphan's wealth is under financial hardship in his livelihood, he may consume from the orphan's wealth to a customary extent; but if that wealth is small, he cannot dispose of even a particle of it." The narrator says: "I said to the Imam, 'What is the meaning of the verse وَإِنْ تُخَالِطُوهمْ فَإِخْوَانُکُمْ [And if you become co-partners with them, they are your brethren]?'" The Imam answered: "It means you set aside from their wealth the amount they need, and from your own wealth the amount you need, and then consume it [mixed together in one place]." I said: "What is the ruling regarding the case where some orphans are younger and others older, some wear more valuable clothing than others, some eat more than others, and their wealth is not separated from one another?" The Imam answered: "For each orphan, clothing whose price befits his status must be provided; but treat all the orphans equally regarding food, for the younger orphan will after a short while eat like the older [ones]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ali said: I asked about the word of Allah concerning the orphans, وَ إِنْ تُخالِطُوهُمْ فَإِخْوانُکُمْ [And if you become co-partners with them, they are your brethren]. He said: [It means] you have dates and milk for them in the amount that suffices them, and you have the like of it for yourself in the amount that suffices you; and the mischief-maker is not hidden from Allah as distinct from the reformer.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When Allah revealed this verse: "Those who consume the wealth of orphans unjustly, it is as though they consume fire, and on the Day of Resurrection they will enter Hell," everyone who had an orphan with him put him out, and they sought permission for this from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family); then Allah the Blessed and Exalted sent down this verse: وَ یَسْئَلُونَکَ عَنِ الْیَتامی ... مِنَ الْمُصْلِحِ [And they ask you concerning the orphans... the mischief-maker from the reformer]. And Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said [in another hadith]: "There is no problem in your sharing food with the orphan [in equal measure and amount], for the young one may sometimes eat as much as the elder; but as for clothing, it should be reckoned for each — small and large — according to his need [not equally]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Muslim said: I asked him (Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him)) about a man who has in his hand the livestock of his orphan nephew who is under his guardianship, [and I asked] "Can he mix them with his own livestock?" The Imam said: "If he repairs their water trough [and gives them water], and treats them, and brings back the one that strays [and wanders off from the herd], he may drink from their milk, but he must not intend to sell their milk and must not harm their young. ... Whoever is well-off should refrain from touching the orphan's property, and whoever is poor may eat in a fair measure, and Allah knows well the corrupt from the reformer."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Hamza said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! My brother has died and left behind several orphans who have livestock [as inheritance]; what is lawful for me from that livestock? He said: If you repair their water trough, bring back those that run away, and tend to them, you may drink from their milk; but not with the intent of selling their milk, and on the condition that you do not harm the young of the livestock, for Allah knows well the corrupt from the reformer.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj said to Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): An orphan is under my guardianship and the orphan's property is with me, from which I spend on him, and sometimes I make use of his food; but what I use from it is not more than what the orphan [uses from my property]. [What is the ruling on what I use]? The Imam replied: There is no harm in that, and Allah knows the corrupt from the reformer.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The Imam (peace be upon him) said: Isa ibn Musa asked me: "One who is the guardian of the orphans' camels — may he take benefit from those camels?" I answered him: "If he repairs and puts right their water trough, goes after their strays, and applies tar to those camels [for treatment of disease] (that is, treats them at the time of illness), he may make use of their milk; but he must not milk them so much that not even a drop of milk remains in the udders of those camels. Likewise, [his milking] must not cause harm to the young camels."