Tradition

إزْرَعُوا وَ أَغْرِسُوا وَ اللّهِ ما عَمِلَ النّاسُ عَمَلاً أَحَلَّ وَ لا أَطْيَبَ مِنْهُ

Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) is narrated to have said: “Engage in agriculture and the planting of trees for I swear by God that the people have not performed purer or more lawful (Halal) work than this.”1

Brief Commentary

Farming is one of the foundational aspects which human life is based upon and much of what people in society do would be impossible without it. Industrial factories and businesses would be unsustainable without established agriculture and farming, and this is because without the raw products provided by agriculture, factories and businessmen would not have the base products necessary for their work.

Another interesting aspect of farming is that while it is possible to cheat and adulterate when it comes to other lines of work, such a thing is not possible when it comes to farming. At the end of the day, fruit is fruit and only so much can be done to it. Farmers must also work hard and their work is honest work; it is for this reason that this tradition has considered agriculture as being one of the most wholesome and pure lines of work that can be performed.

• 1. Safinat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 549, Mustadrak Al-Wasa’il, vol. 13, p. 26.