سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَرْبَى بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَتْرُكَهُ فَقَالَ أَمَّا مَا مَضَى فَلَهُ وَ لْيَتْرُكْهُ فِيمَا يَسْتَقْبِلُ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَدْ وَرِثْتُ مَالًا وَ قَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ صَاحِبَهُ كَانَ يَرْبُو وَ قَدْ سَأَلْتُ فُقَهَاءَ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ وَ فُقَهَاءَ أَهْلِ الْحِجَازِ فَذَكَرُوا أَنَّهُ لَا يَحِلُّ أَكْلُهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْرِفُ مِنْهُ شَيْئاً مَعْزُولًا تَعْرِفُ أَهْلَهُ وَ تَعْرِفُ أَنَّهُ رِبًا فَخُذْ رَأْسَ مَالِكَ وَ دَعْ مَا سِوَاهُ وَ إِنْ كَانَ الْمَالُ مُخْتَلِطاً فَكُلْهُ هَنِيئاً مَرِيئاً فَإِنَّ الْمَالَ مَالُكَ وَ اجْتَنِبْ مَا كَانَ يَصْنَعُ صَاحِبُكَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) قَدْ وَضَعَ مَا مَضَى مِنَ الرِّبَا فَمَنْ جَهِلَهُ وَسِعَهُ أَكْلُهُ فَإِذَا عَرَفَهُ حَرُمَ عَلَيْهِ أَكْلُهُ فَإِنْ أَكَلَهُ بَعْدَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ مَا وَجَبَ عَلَى آكِلِ الرِّبَا .
Translation
A number of our companions, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, and Ahmad Bin Muhammad, altogether from Ibn Mahboub, from Khalid Bin Jareer, from Abu Al Rabie Al Shamy who said, ‘I asked Abu Abdullah<sup>asws</sup> about a man who consumed interest out of ignorance, then he intended to leave it’. So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘As for what is past, so it is for him, and let him leave it with regards to what is in the future’. Then he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘A man came over to Abu Ja’far<sup>asws</sup>, so he said, ‘I have inherited some wealth and have come to know that its owner used to consume interest, and I have asked the jurists of the people of Al-Iraq and the jurists of Al-Hijaz, so they mentioned that it is not Permissible to consume it’. So Abu Ja’far<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘If you recognise anything from it in particular and for it you recognise its owners and recognise that it is interest, so take the capital of your wealth and leave what is besides it. However, if the wealth was mixed up, so eat it with enjoyment and wholesomely, for the wealth is your wealth, and keep away from what your companion used to do, for Rasool-Allah<sup>saww</sup> had placed (dropped) what was done from the interest. Therefore, the one who is ignorant of it, would be in a leeway of consuming it, so whenever he comes to recognise that its consumption is Prohibited unto him, and if he were to consume it after the recognition, it would Obligate upon him whatever is Obligated upon the consumer of the interest’.
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.