Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

رَوَى أَبُو حَمْزَةَ اَلثُّمَالِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «مَنْ صَامَ شَعْبَانَ كَانَ لَهُ طَهُوراً مِنْ كُلِّ زَلَّةٍ وَ وَصْمَةٍ وَ بَادِرَةٍ» وَ قَالَ أَبُو حَمْزَةَ فَقُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ مَا اَلْوَصْمَةُ قَالَ «اَلْيَمِينُ فِي اَلْمَعْصِيَةِ وَ اَلنَّذْرُ وَ لاَ نَذْرَ فِي اَلْمَعْصِيَةِ» قُلْتُ فَمَا اَلْبَادِرَةُ قَالَ «اَلْيَمِينُ عِنْدَ اَلْغَضَبِ وَ اَلتَّوْبَةُ مِنْهَا اَلنَّدَمُ عَلَيْهَا ».

Abu Hamzah al-Thumali narrated from Abu Ja‘far (Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s)), who said: "Whoever fasts during Sha‘ban, it will purify him from every slip, stain, and impulsive act." Abu Hamzah said: "I asked Abu Ja‘far (a.s): 'What is the stain (al-wasmah)?' Imam (a.s) said: 'An oath made for disobedience or a vow, for there is no vow in disobedience.' I asked: 'What is the impulsive act (al-badirah)?' Imam (a.s) said: 'An oath made in anger, and its repentance is to feel regret for it.'"

وَ رَوَى اَلْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ بْنِ مَرْحُومٍ اَلْأَزْدِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ: «مَنْ صَامَ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ وَجَبَتْ لَهُ اَلْجَنَّةُ اَلْبَتَّةَ وَ مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمَيْنِ نَظَرَ اَللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَ لَيْلَةٍ فِي دَارِ اَلدُّنْيَا وَ دَاوَمَ نَظَرَهُ إِلَيْهِ فِي اَلْجَنَّةِ، وَ مَنْ صَامَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ زَارَهُ اَللَّهُ فِي عَرْشِهِ مِنْ جَنَّتِهِ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ.

It is narrated by al-Hasan ibn Mahbub from Abdullah ibn Marhoom al-Azdi, who said: "I heard Abu Abdullah (Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s)) say: 'Whoever fasts the first day of Sha‘ban, Paradise becomes absolutely obligatory for him. Whoever fasts two days, Allah (swt) looks at him every day and night in this world and continues His gaze upon him in Paradise. And whoever fasts three days, Allah (swt) visits him on His Throne in His Paradise every day.'"

قال مصنف هذا الكتاب - رحمه الله -: زيارة الله زيارة أنبيائه وحججه صلوات الله عليهم من زارهم فقد زار الله عز وجل كما أن من أطاعهم فقد أطاع الله، ومن عصاهم فقد عصى الله، ومن تابعهم فقد تابع الله عز وجل وليس ذلك على ما يتأوله المشبهة، تعالى الله عما يقولون علوا كبيرا.

The compiler of this book - may Allah (swt) have mercy on him, said: "Allah’s (swt) 'visiting' refers to the visitation of His Prophets (a.s) and His proofs (Imams (a.s)). Whoever visits them has indeed visited Allah (swt), the Almighty, just as whoever obeys them has obeyed Allah (swt), and whoever disobeys them has disobeyed Allah (swt). Whoever follows them has followed Allah (swt), the Almighty. This is not to be understood in the anthropomorphic way imagined by those who liken Allah (swt) to His creation. Exalted is Allah (swt), far above what they claim."

وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «صَوْمُ شَهْرِ شَعْبَانَ وَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةٌ وَ اَللَّهِ مِنَ اَللَّهِ ».

Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "Fasting the Month of Sha‘ban and Month of Ramadan consecutively is repentance, by Allah (swt), from Allah (swt)."

وَ رَوَى عَمْرُو بْنُ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «كَانَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ يَصُومُ شَعْبَانَ وَ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ يَصِلُهُمَا وَ يَنْهَى اَلنَّاسَ أَنْ يَصِلُوهُمَا وَ كَانَ يَقُولُ «هُمَا شَهْرُ اَللَّهِ وَ هُمَا كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا قَبْلَهُمَا وَ مَا بَعْدَهُمَا مِنَ اَلذُّنُوبِ» ».

Amr ibn Khalid narrates from Abu Ja‘far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), who said: "The Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) would fast Sha‘ban and the Month of Ramadan together without separating them, but he would forbid people from joining them together. He used to say: ‘They are the months of Allah (swt), and they are an expiation for the sins committed before and after them.’”

قوله عليه السلام: " وينهى الناس أن يصلوهما " هو على الانكار والحكاية لا على الاخبار، وكأنه يقول: كان يصلهما وينهى الناس أن يصلوهما فمن شاء وصل ومن شاء فصل، وتصديق ذلك:

The statement "and he forbade people from joining them" is meant as a form of criticism or instruction, not a prohibition. It is as if he is saying: "He would join them, but he would instruct people not to do so." Therefore, it is up to the individual - whoever wishes to join them may do so, and whoever wishes to separate them may do so. Confirmation of this interpretation is evident.

مَا رَوَاهُ زُرْعَةُ عَنِ اَلْمُفَضَّلِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «كَانَ أَبِي عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَفْصِلُ مَا بَيْنَ شَعْبَانَ وَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ بِيَوْمٍ وَ كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ اَلْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ يَصِلُ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَ يَقُولُ «صَوْمُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةٌ مِنَ اَللَّهِ» ».

It is narrated by Zur‘ah from al-Mufaddal, from Abu Abdullah (Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s)), who said: "My father (Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s)) would separate between Sha‘ban and Month of Ramadan by a day, while Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s) would join them and say: ‘Fasting two consecutive months is repentance from Allah (swt).’”

وقد صامه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ووصله بشهر رمضان وصامه وفصل بينهما ولم يصمه كله في جميع سنيه إلا أن أكثر صيامه كان فيه.

The Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) also fasted during Sha‘ban, sometimes joining it with Month of Ramadan and sometimes separating between them. He did not fast all of Sha‘ban in every year, but most of his fasting was during it.

وَ كُنَّ نِسَاءُ اَلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ إِذَا كَانَ عَلَيْهِنَّ صِيَامٌ أَخَّرْنَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى شَعْبَانَ كَرَاهِيَةَ أَنْ يَمْنَعْنَ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ حَاجَتَهُ وَ إِذَا كَانَ شَعْبَانُ صُمْنَ وَ صَامَ مَعَهُنَّ وَ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ « شَعْبَانُ شَهْرِي».

It is narrated that the wives of the Prophet (saws) (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), if they had missed obligatory fasts, would delay making them up until Sha‘ban, disliking to prevent the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) from fulfilling his needs. When Sha‘ban arrived, they would fast, and he would fast with them. He (saws) (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to say: "Sha‘ban is my month."

وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «مَنْ صَامَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ آخِرِ شَعْبَانَ وَ وَصَلَهَا بِشَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ كَتَبَ اَللَّهُ لَهُ صَوْمَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ».

Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "Whoever that fasts three days at the end of Sha‘ban and joins them with the Month of Ramadan, Allah (swt) will record it for him as fasting two consecutive months."

وَ رَوَى حَرِيزٌ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ مَا تَقُولُ فِي لَيْلَةِ اَلنِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ قَالَ «يَغْفِرُ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيهَا مِنْ خَلْقِهِ لِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ عَدَدِ شَعْرِ مِعْزَى كَلْبٍ وَ يُنْزِلُ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مَلاَئِكَتَهُ إِلَى اَلسَّمَاءِ اَلدُّنْيَا وَ إِلَى اَلْأَرْضِ بِمَكَّةَ ». وقد أخرجت ما رويته في هذا المعنى في كتاب فضائل شعبان.

It is narrated by Hariz from Zurara, who said: "I said to Abu Ja‘far (Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s)): 'What do you say about the night of the middle of Sha‘ban?' Imam (a.s) said: 'On that night, Allah (swt), the Almighty, forgives more of His creation than the number of the hairs on the goats of the tribe of Kalb. On that night, Allah (swt), the Almighty, sends down His angels to the lowest heaven and to the earth in Mecca.'"

وقد أخرجت ما رويته في هذا المعنى في كتاب فضائل شعبان.

This narration and others of similar meaning have been compiled in the book Fada’il Sha‘ban (The Virtues of Sha‘ban).