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 Ill 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 عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ صَاحِبِ السَّابِرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الصَّبَّاحِ الْكِنَانِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ مَنْ فَطَّرَ صَائِماً فَلَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِهِ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Safmah, Sahib af-Sabiriy from abu af-Sabbah af-Kinaniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the reward for one who serves food to a fasting person is equal to the reward for the fasting person for his fasting.” 

2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ سَعْدَانَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ بَكْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ فِطْرُكَ أَخَاكَ الصَّائِمَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صِيَامِكَ.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father from Sa‘dan ibn Muslim from Musa ibn Bakr who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘Your serving food to your fasting brother (in belief) is better than your fasting.’” 

3ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ سَيَابَةَ عَنْ ضُرَيْسٍ عَنْ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ حُمْرَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيْهِما السَّلاَم) إِذَا كَانَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي يَصُومُ فِيهِ أَمَرَ بِشَاةٍ فَتُذْبَحُ وَتُقْطَعُ أَعْضَاءً وَتُطْبَخُ فَإِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَ الْمَسَاءِ أَكَبَّ عَلَى الْقُدُورِ حَتَّى يَجِدَ رِيحَ الْمَرَقِ وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ هَاتُوا الْقِصَاعَ اغْرِفُوا لآِلِ فُلانٍ وَاغْرِفُوا لآِلِ فُلانٍ ثُمَّ يُؤْتَى بِخُبْزٍ وَتَمْرٍ فَيَكُونُ ذَلِكَ عَشَاءَهُ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آبَائِهِ.

3. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ali has narrated from Ali ibn Asbat, from Sayabah from Durays from Hamzah ibn Humran who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that on the first day of his fasting, Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), would ask his people to prepare a sheep for food. In the evening, the cooking pots gave out a fine fragrance while he was fasting, and he would then say, ‘Fill up this pot for the family of so and so and fill up this one for the family of so and so.’ He would then ask for bread and dates for his own dinner. May Allah grant him and his ancestors the compensation worthy of their service to His cause.” 

4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مَسْعَدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَنْ أَبِيهِ (عَلَيْهِما السَّلاَم) قَالَ دَخَلَ سَدِيرٌ عَلَى أَبِي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَقَالَ يَا سَدِيرُ هَلْ تَدْرِي أَيُّ اللَّيَالِي هَذِهِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ فِدَاكَ أَبِي هَذِهِ لَيَالِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَمَا ذَاكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَنْ تُعْتِقَ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ اللَّيَالِي عَشْرَ رَقَبَاتٍ مِنْ وُلْدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ فَقَالَ لَهُ سَدِيرٌ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي لا يَبْلُغُ مَالِي ذَاكَ فَمَا زَالَ يَنْقُصُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ بِهِ رَقَبَةً وَاحِدَةً فِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ لا أَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ فَمَا تَقْدِرُ أَنْ تُفَطِّرَ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ رَجُلاً مُسْلِماً فَقَالَ لَهُ بَلَى وَعَشَرَةً فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبِي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) فَذَاكَ الَّذِي أَرَدْتُ يَا سَدِيرُ إِنَّ إِفْطَارَكَ أَخَاكَ الْمُسْلِمَ يَعْدِلُ رَقَبَةً مِنْ وُلْدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ ع. 

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas’adah from abu ‘Abd Allah, from his father, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, who has said the following: “Once, during the month of Ramadan, Sadir went to visit abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.). The Imam asked, ‘O Sadir, do you know which nights are these days?’ He replied, ‘Yes, I pray to Allah to keep my soul and the soul of my father in service for your cause, these are the nights of the month of Ramadan, but what do they signify?’ The Imam then said, ‘Can you set free ten slaves from the descendants of Isma‘il in every one of these nights?’ Sadir replied, ‘I pray to Allah to keep the souls of my parents in service for your cause, my belongings are not that much.’ The Imam then reduced the number of slaves until it was only one slave, but he kept saying, ‘My belongings are not enough.’ The Imam then asked, ‘Can you serve food to a Muslim every night.’ He replied, ‘Yes, I can do so. I can even serve food to ten people every night.’ The Imam then said, ‘That is what I meant, O Sadir. Your serving food to your Muslim brother is equal in reward to setting free of ten slaves from the descendants of Isma‘il.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 4

Book 2, Chapter 3