[Machine] He said to Ata, "What is better? Wealth or righteousness, or all of that?" Ata said, "We only see it as wealth." I said, "What if he does not have wealth but is a truthful man?" He said, "I do not consider anything good except for that wealth and righteousness." Mujahid said, "If you know better in them." The money is their qualities and their religions. Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "Good is a word that is known by the one addressed with it." Allah, the Exalted, said, "Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds, they are the best of creatures." So we understood that they are the best of creatures because of faith and good deeds, not because of wealth. And Allah, the Exalted, said, "And the camels and cattle We have appointed them among the symbols of Allah; for you therein is good." So we understood that the good is the benefit with reward, not that there is wealth in it. And Allah, the Exalted, said, "When death approaches one of you, take witnesses, let it be two just men from among you." So when Allah, the Exalted, said, "So write for them [something] if you know in them any good." it was the clearest indication of its meanings based on what we have proven from the Quran: power to acquire wealth and trustworthiness. Because one might be powerful and acquire but does not fulfill if he does not have trustworthiness and honesty, so he will not have power in acquiring, so he will not fulfill. Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "It is not clear from the statement 'if you know if your servant has any wealth' with two meanings: one is that the wealth is not in him but rather with him, but in him is the acquisition that benefits the wealth. The second is that the wealth in his hand belongs to his master." He said, "And perhaps someone may think that the good of wealth is that it benefits its owner with his acquisition of wealth, so he deduces that it benefits him with wealth that he can use for his own benefit."  

أَنّهُ قَالَ لِعَطَاءٍ مَا الْخَيْرُ؟ الْمَالُ أَوِ الصَّلَاحُ أَمْ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ مَا نَرَاهُ إِلَّا الْمَالَ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَهُ مَالٌ وَكَانَ رَجُلَ صِدْقٍ؟ قَالَ مَا أَحْسِبُ خَيْرًا إِلَّا ذَلِكَ الْمَالَ وَالصَّلَاحَ قَالَ وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ {إِنْ عَلِمْتُمْ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا} [النور 33] الْمَالَ كَائِنَةً أَخْلَاقُهُمْ وَأَدْيَانُهُمْ مَا كَانَتْ قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ الْخَيْرُ كَلِمَةٌ يُعْرَفُ مَا أُرِيدَ بِهَا بِالْمُخَاطَبَةِ بِهَا قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ} [البينة 7] فَعَقَلْنَا أَنَّهُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَعَمَلِ الصَّالِحَاتِ لَا بِالْمَالِ وَقَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى {وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُمْ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ} [الحج 36] فَعَقَلْنَا أَنَّ الْخَيْرَ الْمَنْفَعَةُ بِالْأَجْرِ لَا أَنَّ فِيَ الْبُدْنِ لَهُمْ مَالًا وَقَالَ ﷻ {إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ إِنْ تَرَكَ خَيْرًا} [البقرة 180] فَعَقَلْنَا أَنَّهُ إِنْ تَرَكَ مَالًا لِأَنَّ الْمَالَ الْمَتْرُوكُ وَبِقَوْلِهِ {الْوَصِيَّةُ لِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ} [البقرة 180] فَلَمَّا قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى {فَكَاتِبُوهُمْ إِنْ عَلِمْتُمْ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا} [النور 33] كَانَ أَظْهَرَ مَعَانِيهَا بِدَلَالَةِ مَا اسْتَدْلَلْنَا بِهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ قُوَّةٌ عَلَى اكْتِسَابِ الْمَالِ وَأَمَانَةٌ؛ لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ يَكُونُ قَوِيًّا فَيَكْتَسِبُ فَلَا يُؤَدِّي إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَا أَمَانَةٍ وَأَمِينًا فَلَا يَكُونُ قَوِيًّا عَلَى الْكَسْبِ فَلَا يُؤَدِّي قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ وَلَيْسَ الظَّاهِرُ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ إِنْ عَلِمْتَ فِي عَبْدِكَ مَالًا بِمَعْنَيَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا أَنَّ الْمَالَ لَا يَكُونُ فِيهِ إِنَّمَا يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ وَلَكِنْ يَكُونُ فِيهِ الِاكْتِسَابُ الَّذِي يُفِيدُ الْمَالَ وَالثَّانِي أَنَّ الْمَالَ الَّذِي فِي يَدِهِ لِسَيِّدِهِ قَالَ وَلَعَلَّ مَنْ ذَهَبَ إِلَى أَنَّ الْخَيْرَ الْمَالُ أَنَّهُ أَفَادَ بِكَسْبِهِ مَالًا لِلسَّيِّدِ فَيَسْتَدِلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ يُفِيدُ مَالًا يَعْتِقُ بِهِ كَمَا أَفَادَ أَوَّلًا