كُنْتُ مَعَ الرِّضَا ( عليه السلام ) فِي بَعْضِ الْحَاجَةِ فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَنْصَرِفَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِي فَقَالَ لِيَ انْصَرِفْ مَعِي فَبِتْ عِنْدِيَ اللَّيْلَةَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ مَعَهُ فَدَخَلَ إِلَى دَارِهِ مَعَ الْمُعَتِّبِ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى غِلْمَانِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ بِالطِّينِ أَوَارِيَ الدَّوَابِّ وَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ وَ إِذاً مَعَهُمْ أَسْوَدُ لَيْسَ مِنْهُمْ فَقَالَ مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ مَعَكُمْ فَقَالُوا يُعَاوِنُنَا وَ نُعْطِيهِ شَيْئاً قَالَ قَاطَعْتُمُوهُ عَلَى أُجْرَتِهِ فَقَالُوا لَا هُوَ يَرْضَى مِنَّا بِمَا نُعْطِيهِ فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ يَضْرِبُهُمْ بِالسَّوْطِ وَ غَضِبَ لِذَلِكَ غَضَباً شَدِيداً فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ لِمَ تُدْخِلُ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَدْ نَهَيْتُهُمْ عَنْ مِثْلِ هَذَا غَيْرَ مَرَّةٍ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ مَعَهُمْ أَحَدٌ حَتَّى يُقَاطِعُوهُ أُجْرَتَهُ وَ اعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَعْمَلُ لَكَ شَيْئاً بِغَيْرِ مُقَاطَعَةٍ ثُمَّ زِدْتَهُ لِذَلِكَ الشَّيْءِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَضْعَافٍ عَلَى أُجْرَتِهِ إِلَّا ظَنَّ أَنَّكَ قَدْ نَقَصْتَهُ أُجْرَتَهُ وَ إِذَا قَاطَعْتَهُ ثُمَّ أَعْطَيْتَهُ أُجْرَتَهُ حَمِدَكَ عَلَى الْوَفَاءِ فَإِنْ زِدْتَهُ حَبَّةً عَرَفَ ذَلِكَ لَكَ وَ رَأَى أَنَّكَ قَدْ زِدْتَهُ.
Translation
Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Suleyman Bin Ja’far Al Ja’fary who said, ‘I was with Al Reza<sup>asws</sup> regarding one of the needs, and I intended to leave to go to my house. So he<sup>asws</sup> said to me: ‘Come with me<sup>asws</sup> and spend the night in my<sup>asws</sup> presence’. So I went with him<sup>asws</sup> and entered into his<sup>asws</sup> house along with Al Mo’tab. So he<sup>asws</sup> looked at his<sup>asws</sup> servants who were working with the clay in the animal enclosure, and other such work, and there was a black man with them who was not from them. So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘Who is this man with you?’ So they said, ‘He is helping us and we would give him something’. He<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘Have you agreed his wages with him?’ So they said, ‘No. He would be pleased from us with whatever we give him’. So he<sup>asws</sup> faced towards them to strike them with the whip, and was angered due to that with an intense anger. So I said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you<sup>asws</sup>! Why are you taking it upon yourself<sup>asws</sup>?’ So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘I<sup>asws</sup> have forbidden them from the likes of this many a time, to make anyone work with them until they agree his wages beforehand. And know that there is no one who would work for you anything without an agreed wages, and then you increase something for him three times over upon his wages, he would still thing that you have been deficient in his wages; and when you agree his wages beforehand, then give his wages to him, he would praise you upon the loyalty. So if you were to increase it even by a grain, he would recognise that for you and view that you have given him more’.
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.