Chapter on Sharecropping and Leasing
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 3|Book 2|Chapter 14
وَ سَأَلَ عَلِيٌّ اَلصَّائِغُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: فَقَالَ أَتَقَبَّلُ اَلْعَمَلَ فَأُقَبِّلُهُ مِنَ اَلْغِلْمَانِ يَعْمَلُونَ مَعِي بِالثُّلُثَيْنِ فَقَالَ "لاَ يَصْلُحُ ذَلِكَ إِلاَّ أَنْ تُعَالِجَ مَعَهُمْ" قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أُذِيبُهُ لَهُمْ قَالَ "ذَلِكَ عَمَلٌ فَلاَ بَأْسَ".
Ali the goldsmith asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام: "I take on work and then hire young workers to assist me, giving them two-thirds of the earnings. Is this permissible?" Imam عليه السلام said: "This is not permissible unless you work alongside them." I said: "What if I melt the gold for them?" Imam عليه السلام said: "That is considered work, so there is no harm in it."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 239