Mostly our Imams (as) were in the agricultural sector (Imam Ali (as) has cultivated land, dug wells and grown crops in unused areas outside of Madinah, and then subsequently left them in inheritance to his children.

Imam Husayn (as) sold one of those wells in order to fund his expenditure for the journey of Karbala.

After the event of Karbala, Imams (as) continued this and they also entered into various areas of trade, especially the buying and freeing of slaves.