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 مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَدَنِيِّ عَنْ عِمْرَانَ الزَّعْفَرَانِيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) إِنَّ السَّمَاءَ تُطْبِقُ عَلَيْنَا بِالْعِرَاقِ الْيَوْمَ وَالْيَوْمَيْنِ وَالثَّلاثَةَ فَأَيَّ يَوْمٍ نَصُومُ قَالَ انْظُرِ الْيَوْمَ الَّذِي صُمْتَ مِنَ السَّنَةِ الْمَاضِيَةِ وَصُمْ يَوْمَ الْخَامِسِ.

1. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from certain persons of our people from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa [ibn ‘Ubayd] from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Madaniy from ‘Imran Za‘faraniy who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), that in Iraq the sky remains cloudy for one, two or three days. Which day must we fast?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Think which day you fasted last year and fast on fifth day.”’ 

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ مَعْرُوفٍ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ الْخُدْرِيِّ عَنْ بَعْضِ مَشَايِخِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ صُمْ فِي الْعَامِ الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ يَوْمَ الْخَامِسِ مِنْ يَوْمِ صُمْتَ فِيهِ عَامَ أَوَّلَ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-‘ Abbas ibn Ma‘ruf from Safwan ibn Yahya from Muhammad ibn ‘Uthman al-Khudriy from certain persons of his shaykh who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Fast on the fifth day of the coming year from the day you fasted the year before.’” 

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ السَّيَّارِيِّ قَالَ كَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَرَجِ إِلَى الْعَسْكَرِيِّ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) يَسْأَلُهُ عَمَّا رُوِيَ مِنَ الْحِسَابِ فِي الصَّوْمِ عَنْ آبَائِكَ فِي عَدِّ خَمْسَةِ أَيَّامٍ بَيْنَ أَوَّلِ السَّنَةِ الْمَاضِيَةِ وَالسَّنَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ الَّتِي تَأْتِي فَكَتَبَ صَحِيحٌ وَلَكِنْ عُدَّ فِي كُلِّ أَرْبَعِ سِنِينَ خَمْساً وَفِي السَّنَةِ الْخَامِسَةِ سِتّاً فِيمَا بَيْنَ الأُولَى وَالْحَادِثِ وَمَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ خَمْسَةٌ خَمْسَةٌ قَالَ السَّيَّارِيُّ وَهَذِهِ مِنْ جِهَةِ الْكَبِيسَةِ قَالَ وَقَدْ حَسَبَهُ أَصْحَابُنَا فَوَجَدُوهُ صَحِيحاً قَالَ وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَرَجِ فِي سَنَةِ ثَمَانٍ وَثَلاثِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ هَذَا الْحِسَابُ لا يَتَهَيَّأُ لِكُلِّ إِنْسَانٍ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّمَا هَذَا لِمَنْ يَعْرِفُ السِّنِينَ وَمَنْ يَعْلَمُ مَتَى كَانَتِ السَّنَةُ الْكَبِيسَةُ ثُمَّ يَصِحُّ لَهُ هِلالُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ أَوَّلَ لَيْلَةٍ فَإِذَا صَحَّ الْهِلالُ لِلَيْلَتِهِ وَعَرَفَ السِّنِينَ صَحَّ لَهُ ذَلِكَ إِنْ شَاءَ الله.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Sayyariy who has said the following: “Muhammad ibn al-Faraj once wrote to al-‘Askariy (a.s.), asking about what is narrated, for calculating to fast, from his ancestors about the five days of the last year and six days of the coming year. He (the Imam) wrote, ‘It is correct but count five days in every four years and in the sixth year six days in between the first and the new. In those other than this it is five and five.’ Al- Sayyariy has said that this is because of al-Kabisah (calculating system). He has said that our people have calculated it and they found it to be correct.’ He (the narrator) has said that Muhammad ibn al- Faraj wrote to him (the Imam) in the year two hundred thirty eight about this calculation. (The answer said), ‘This calculation is not easy for everyone to follow. This is for those who know the years and that when al-Kabisah year was. Then crescent of the month of Ramadan of the first night is correct for them. Once the crescent of the night is established, then it is correct for them by the will of Allah.’” 

4ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الأَحْوَلِ عَنْ عِمْرَانَ الزَّعْفَرَانِيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) إِنَّا نَمْكُثُ فِي الشِّتَاءِ الْيَوْمَ وَالْيَوْمَيْنِ لا تُرَى شَمْسٌ وَلا نَجْمٌ فَأَيَّ يَوْمٍ نَصُومُ قَالَ انْظُرِ الْيَوْمَ الَّذِي صُمْتَ مِنَ السَّنَةِ الْمَاضِيَةِ وَعُدَّ خَمْسَةَ أَيَّامٍ وَصُمِ الْيَوْمَ الْخَامِسَ. 

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Mansur ibn al-‘Abbas from Ibrahim al-Ahwal from ’Imran al- Za‘faraniy who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘In winter we cannot see the sun or stars for one or two days. When must we fast?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Think, on what day you fasted last year, then count five days and fast on the fifth day.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 4

Book 2, Chapter 8