سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ شِرَاءِ الْمَصَاحِفِ وَ بَيْعِهَا فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا كَانَ يُوضَعُ الْوَرَقُ عِنْدَ الْمِنْبَرِ وَ كَانَ مَا بَيْنَ الْمِنْبَرِ وَ الْحَائِطِ قَدْرَ مَا تَمُرُّ الشَّاةُ أَوْ رَجُلٌ مُنْحَرِفٌ قَالَ فَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ يَأْتِي وَ يَكْتُبُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمُ اشْتَرَوْا بَعْدَ [ذَلِكَ] قُلْتُ فَمَا تَرَى فِي ذَلِكَ قَالَ لِي أَشْتَرِي أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَبِيعَهُ قُلْتُ فَمَا تَرَى أَنْ أُعْطِيَ عَلَى كِتَابَتِهِ أَجْراً قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ وَ لَكِنْ هَكَذَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ .
Translation
Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Ibn Fazzal, from Ghalib Bin Usman, from Rawh Bin Abdul Raheem, (It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah<sup>asws</sup>, said, ‘I asked him<sup>asws</sup> about buying the Parchments (copies of the Holy Quran) and selling them, so he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘But rather, the pages used to be placed by the Pulpit, and (the space) which was between the Pulpit and the wall was a measurement of what the sheep could pass through, or a man walking sideways’. He<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘The man used to come over and write down from that, then he would be selling it (his copy) after that’. I said, ‘So what is your<sup>asws</sup> view with regards to that’. He<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘Buying is more beloved to me<sup>asws</sup> than if I<sup>asws</sup> were to sell it’. I said, ‘So what is your<sup>asws</sup> view if I were to give a recompense upon its writing it’. He<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘There is no problem, but this is how they were doing (in those days)’.
Compiled by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni
Source
License: Free for educational and research use (Thaqalayn Data API)
Provided for research and educational purposes. Original source: Thaqalayn Project. Open License.