Virtue of Charity

Giving Charity Repels Misfortune

The Virtue of Giving Charity Out of Public Sight

Giving Charity During the Night

Giving Charity Increases One’s Wealth

Giving Charity to Relatives

Providing for the Family to Improve the Quality of Their Lives

One’s Dependents

Giving Charity to Those Whom One Does Not Know

Giving Charity to Bedouins and People Who Live in Desolate Areas

Undesirability of Turning Away One Asking for Help

The Amount of Charity for One Asking for Help

The Prayer of the Recipient of Charity

One Who Distributes Charity Has a Share in Rewards with the Donor of Charity

Self-Abnegation (Giving Preference to Others Over One’s Self)

One Who Asks for Help Without Actually Needing Help

Unpleasantness of Begging

Embarrassing the Recipient of a Favor

Giving Charity After an Appeal From a Recipient

Benevolent Assistance (Optional Charity as Opposed to Compulsory Ones)

The Virtue of Benevolent Assistance

Another Chapter about the Subject of the Previous Chapter

Providing Benevolent Assistance Repels Wicked Encounters

Providers of Benevolent Assistance Will be Identified as Such on the Day of Judgment

Completion of Benevolent Assistance

Finding a Proper Recipient of Benevolent Assistance

Disciplines for Providing Benevolent Assistance

Refusing to Appreciate a Benevolent Assistance

Providing a Loan

Extending Due Date of Payment in Favor of the Borrower

Waiving a Loan in Favor of a Dead Person

The Cost of Maintenance of Wealth

Appreciation of Bounties

Understanding Generosity and Munificence

Spending on Deserving Causes

Stinginess and Greed

Rare Ahadith about Charity

Virtue of Serving Food

The Excellence of Moderation

Detestability of Over-Spending and Living in Austerity

Providing Water for Drinking

Charity for Descendents of al-Hashim and the People of Their Household (Servants) and Compensation to Them

The Rare Ahadith

The Excellence of Fast and Fasting

The Excellence of the Month of Ramadan

About the One Who Serves Food to a Fasting Person

Prohibition of Saying ‘Ramadan’ Instead of the ‘Month of Ramadan’

The Words to Say When the Month of Ramadan is About to Begin

Verifying the Rise of the New Moon and Finding Witnesses for It

Another Chapter about the Previous Subject

The Day That Is Doubtful About Its Being of the Month of Sha‘ban or the Month of Ramadan

Kinds of Fasts

Disciplines During Fasting

The Fasting of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause

Excellence of Fasting in the Month of Shaman, Continuing Such Fast to Connect it with the Month of Ramadan, and Three Days of Fasting Every Month

Breakfast before Dawn

The Prayer to Say During Breakfast after Sunset

Fasting Continuously and All the Time

The Case of One Who Eats or Drinks but Has Doubts About Its Taking Place before or after Dawn

What Is Dawn, When Does It Come and When Is It Unlawful to Eat?

The Case of One Who Eats, Thinking it to Be after Sunset, when It Is Not yet Sunset

The Time of Breaking Fast after Sunset

The Case of One who Eats or Drinks out of Forgetfulness During the Month of Ramadan

The Case of One Who Knowingly Eats or Is Involved in Carnal Relation During the Month of Ramadan

The Case of a Person Involved in Carnal Relations in the Form of Kissing or Foreplay

The Case of One Who Experiences a Wet-Dream During the Night in the Month of Ramadan or at Other Times and Does Not Shower before Dawn or It Occurs During the Night or Day

The Undesirability of Immersing One’s Head in Water while Fasting

Rinsing One’s Mouth and Nostrils while Fasting

The Case of a Fasting Person’s Vomiting, Nauseating or Burping

The Case of a Fasting Person’s Use of Bath Room and Apply Cupping

The Case of a Fasting Person’s Sniffling or Use of Eardrops or Enema

The Case of a Fasting Person’s Use of Kohl (Eye Drops or powder)

A Fasting Person’s Use of Tooth Brush

A Fasting Person’s Use of Perfumes

A Fasting Person’s Use of Chewing Gum

The Case of a Fasting Person Tasting the Salt in Cooking Pot and Chews for the Fledgling

The Case of a Fly or Mucus Entering the Throat of a Fasting Person

The Case of a Fasting Person’s Keeping a Ring, a Pebble or a Date Stone in His Mouth while Fasting

The Case of Seniors Who Feel Weak when Fasting

The Case of a Pregnant or Breastfeeding Woman Who Feels Weak when Fasting

The Limit of Illness That Exempts One from Fasting

The Case of One Who Remains 111 for Two Consecutive Months of Ramadan

Remedy and Compensatory Fast for the Missed Fasting During the Month of Ramadan

The Case of One Who Wakes up in the Morning with an Intention to Fast, but Who Does Not Do So or Vice Versa when Fasting Is a Compensatory Fast for the Missed Fast in the Month of Ramadan or Other Days

The Case of One Who Fasts Optionally while He Is Obligated to Make Up for Fasting of the Month of Ramadan He Has Missed

The Case of a Person Who Passes Away Owing Fasting of the Month of Ramadan or Other Times

Children’s Fasting and When They Owe Fasting

The Case of One Who Becomes a Muslim during the Month of Ramadan

Undesirability of Traveling in the Month of Ramadan

Undesirability (unlawfulness) of Fast on a Journey

The Case of One Who Fasts on a Journey out of Ignorance

Those Who Do or Do Not Have to Break Their Fast on a Journey 

Optional Fasting on a Journey and Qada’ (compensatory fast) of Fasting Missed on a Journey

The Case of One Who Begins a Journey or Returns from a Journey in the Month of Ramadan

The Case of a Traveler Who Enters His Town or a Place where He Wants to Stay for Ten Days

The Case of One Who Involves Himself in Carnal Relations with His Wife on a Journey or Returns from a Journey in the Month of Ramadan

The Case of Fasting during Menses: Major or Minor One

The Case of One Who Owes Fasting of Two Consecutive Months but an Obstacle Prevents Him 

Fasting As Expiation for Swearing

1ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) عَنِ الرَّجُلِ لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُ إِلاَّ قُوتُ يَوْمِهِ أَ يَعْطِفُ مَنْ عِنْدَهُ قُوتُ يَوْمِهِ عَلَى مَنْ لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَيَعْطِفُ مَنْ عِنْدَهُ قُوتُ شَهْرٍ عَلَى مَنْ دُونَهُ وَالسَّنَةُ عَلَى نَحْوِ ذَلِكَ أَمْ ذَلِكَ كُلُّهُ الْكَفَافُ الَّذِي لا يُلامُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ هُوَ أَمْرٌ إِنَّ أَفْضَلَكُمْ فِيهِ أَحْرَصُكُمْ عَلَى الرَّغْبَةِ وَالأَثَرَةِ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَإِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلى‏ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كانَ بِهِمْ خَصاصَةٌ وَالأَمْرُ الآخَرُ لا يُلامُ عَلَى الْكَفَافِ وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from ibn Khalid from ‘Uthman from ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah, who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), this question: ‘There is one who has sustenance for only one day, or for only one month or one year. Should he give preference to another person who does not have sustenance even for one day, or one month or one year, or in all cases, is there no blame in not giving preference because of sustenance being barely enough for himself? He (the Imam) said, ‘There are two issues. Those of you who are more inclined to giving preference to others over themselves are excellent. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has said, “They give preference to others over themselves even though they themselves are in dire need.” (59:9) The other issue is that in not giving preference to others over themselves, they are not blamed; however, a providing hand has the upper hand over a non-providing hand, but you must begin with your dependents.’” 

2ـ قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا بَكْرُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ عَنْ بُنْدَارَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الطَّبَرِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ السَّائِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ أَوْصِنِي فَقَالَ آمُرُكَ بِتَقْوَى الله ثُمَّ سَكَتَ فَشَكَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ قِلَّةَ ذَاتِ يَدِي وَقُلْتُ وَالله لَقَدْ عَرِيتُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنْ عُرْيَتِي أَنَّ أَبَا فُلانٍ نَزَعَ ثَوْبَيْنِ كَانَا عَلَيْهِ وَكَسَانِيهِمَا فَقَالَ صُمْ وَتَصَدَّقْ قُلْتُ أَتَصَدَّقُ مِمَّا وَصَلَنِي بِهِ إِخْوَانِي وَإِنْ كَانَ قَلِيلاً قَالَ تَصَدَّقْ بِمَا رَزَقَكَ الله وَلَوْ آثَرْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ.

2. The narrator of the above Hadith has said that narrated to us Bakr ibn Salih from Bandar ibn Muhammad al-Tabariy from Ali ibn Suwayd al-Sa’iy who has said the following: “I once said to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), ‘Please instruct me with good advice.’ He said, ‘I advise you to observe piety before Allah.’ He was silent for a while. I then complained to him about my poverty, saying, ‘By Allah, I do not have any clothes, and it is so much that abu so and so took off two pieces of his clothes so I can wear them.’ He said, ‘Fast and give charity.’ I then asked, ‘Should I give charity from what my friends have given to me, even if it is so little?’ He replied, ‘Give charity from what Allah has provided you, even if you have to give preference to others over yourself.’” 

3ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا (عَلَيْهِما السَّلاَم) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ أَيُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ جُهْدُ الْمُقِلِّ أَ مَا سَمِعْتَ قَوْلَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلى‏ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كانَ بِهِمْ خَصاصَةٌ تَرَى هَاهُنَا فَضْلاً. 

3. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr from Muhammad ibn Sama‘ah from abu Basir from one of the two Imam abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah, recipients of divine supreme covenant who has said the following: “I asked him (the Imam), ‘What kind of charity is more excellent?’ He said, ‘It is the kind of charity that one provides after doing his utmost. Have you heard the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, “They give preference to others over themselves even though they are in dire need?” (59:9) It is this kind of charity giving in which you can see excellence.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 4

Book 1, Chapter 15