Imam Baqir (pbuh): Earning livelihood is a worship

The town of Medina was burning under the exhalation of the heat of the
sun of Hejaz (Hijaz) and was thawing like thebenumbed sleepers under
the fire of the sky.
The branches of the palms were not oscillating under any breeze and
the trees were as weary men sleep-strucken while standing. The camels
were sheltering themselves under some shade of the palm branches,
exceeding the wall of gardens and wereruminating silently and
motionlessly. In the town every being was crawlingunder a shade and
nobody was seen in the palm gardens of the round about, except a
rather nice man having a slightly corpulent body which was leaning on
the shoulders of a young man, (perhaps his son), who was visiting his
farm. He was perspiring from the heat.
His eyes, which were half-closed because of the violent shining of
thesun, were so attractive that they recalled the looking of the most
beautiful gazelle. His nicefeature was adorned with a pretty beard and
mustache. But this handsome face was turning to purple under the sun
and the drops of perspiration were pouring from his cheeks, like the
drops of dew from a wild tulip. They were running from his face and
dropping into his chest.
At this moment another man was seen on the plain, which was advancing
towards this point. His name was Mohummad Ibn Monkader. He was
supposing himself to be apious and anchorite, a hermit man far from
Mormonism. He had a bowed down stature anda weary face. When he
reached the corpulent body man who was perspiring under the glow of
the sun, busy to supervise his farm, he wondered and said to himself:
"See how the greed of the mammon blinds the eyes of wisdom. This man
is melting like a candle under the sun. And he is not ready to stop to
hurt himself for his avidity. It is better to go to him andto advise
him. Perhaps hewill be guided."
When he came near, he knew the man and said:"Oh it's strange. This man
is Mohummad Ibn Ali, Imam Baqir, and the leader of the Shia faith. Why
this man is trying forworldly wealth?"
He goes then nearer, stood and greeted the Imam Baqir (pbuh).
ImamBaqir (pbuh), was busy with his work and was perspiring and
panting. Imam Baqir (pbuh) replied to his greeting. The man halted a
while and said: "Is it worthy fora great and pious man like you to
come out of home in this hour of the day, to seek worldly wealth? And
with this rather corpulent body you have to bear, of course, more
pain."
"If in this moment, (God forbids), your death comes, in what situation
are you going to meet Alah (SWT)? No, it is not worthy for you, with
this heat and this natural disposition, to be so concerned with
mammon."
Imam Baqir (pbuh) cleaned the perspiration off his forehead with the
back of his hand, stoppedthe work and looked at him.
"If my death in this very moment", said Imam Baqir (pbuh), "I will
meetAllah (SWT) in a state of worship." You think that the worship is
only to pray and to do religious ceremonies? I am living in the world
and I have to earn my livelihood. If I do not work I will need the
help of some men like you and I have to stretch my hands for begging.
I should fear the coming of my death when I am sinning and disobeying
my Allah (SWT). At this moment, when I am, working under the order of
Allah (SWT), I am trying not to be a weight on the shoulders of my
fellow beings.
Mohummad Ibn Monkader, struck with shame, said nothing and continued
his way, while he was humming with himself: "Wonderful. I was thinking
that I can advise him, but this was myself to earn an advice."
Moral: You should always try hard to do something by yourself and only
when you have tried and can not do it you should ask for help.
Earning livelihood is a Worship:
*. When Sa'd Ansari responded to the Holy Prophet Mohummad (saw) that
his hands were calloused because he used to work with a rope and a
shovel to earnmoney to spend for his wife and children, the Holy
Prophet Mohummad(saw) kissed his hand (as an honor) and said: "This is
a hand which the Fire (of Hell) will never touch."
*. The Holy Prophet Mohummad (saw) said:"There are seventy branches of
worship, the best of which is earning a living lawfully."
*. Imam Ali (pbuh) said:"Never, never will prosperity be reached by
remaining idle and lazy."
*. Imam Ali (pbuh) said:"One who is always lazyhis hope will be
scattered (here and there)."
*. Imam Baqir (pbuh) said: "Avoid laziness and discontent. These two
are the keys to every vice."
*. Imam Baqir (pbuh) said: "Refrain (be away)from Laziness and
impatience for both of them are surely are the keys of every evil."
*. Imam Baqir (pbuh) said: "Laziness harms both religion as well as this world."
*. Imam Baqir (pbuh) said: "I hate the person who is jobless and who
merely lies on his back and says, O Allah! Give me sustenance! He asks
Allah to do him a favor while the small Ant comes out of its Ant
colony to seek its livelihood!"

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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