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 فَضَّالٍ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) فِي قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنْ تُبْدُوا الصَّدَقاتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَ قَالَ يَعْنِي الزَّكَاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَإِنْ تُخْفُوها وَتُؤْتُوهَا الْفُقَراءَ قَالَ يَعْنِي النَّافِلَةَ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَسْتَحِبُّونَ إِظْهَارَ الْفَرَائِضِ وَكِتْمَانَ النَّوَافِلِ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Faddal from ibn Bukayr from a man who has said the following: “This is about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ‘If you pay charity in public, it still is fine. . (2:270) Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, It is about obligatory zakat.’ I (the narrator) then mentioned Allah’s words that say, ‘If they hide it and give to the poor. . . .’ (2:270) The Imam said, ‘This is about optional charity. They liked to pay obligatory zakat publicly and the optional zakat out of public sight.’” 

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَمَّنْ حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الزَّكَاةِ تَجِبُ عَلَيَّ فِي مَوْضِعٍ لا يُمْكِنُنِي أَنْ أُؤَدِّيَهَا قَالَ اعْزِلْهَا فَإِنِ اتَّجَرْتَ بِهَا فَأَنْتَ ضَامِنٌ لَهَا وَلَهَا الرِّبْحُ وَإِنْ تَوِيَتْ فِي حَالِ مَا عَزَلْتَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ تَشْغَلَهَا فِي تِجَارَةٍ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَعْزِلْهَا وَاتَّجَرْتَ بِهَا فِي جُمْلَةِ مَالِكَ فَلَهَا بِقِسْطِهَا مِنَ الرِّبْحِ وَلا وَضِيعَةَ عَلَيْهَا.

2. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from those who narrated to him from Mu‘alla’ ibn ‘Ubayd, from Ali ibn abu Hamzah, from his father who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about an amount of zakat which has become obligatory for me to pay in a place where I cannot pay. He said, ‘Keep the amount on one side. If you do business with it, you are responsible for it and for its profit. If you die after keeping the amount on the side and without doing any business with it, you are not liable for anything. If you do business with it along with the rest of your other properties, then the profit is proportionately divided and there is no deduction (for expenses) from that amount (of zakat).”’ 

3ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَاصِمٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَتَصَدَّقُ بِالسُّكَّرِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَ تَتَصَدَّقُ بِالسُّكَّرِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ شَيْ‏ءٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْهُ فَأَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَتَصَدَّقَ بِأَحَبِّ الأَشْيَاءِ إِلَيَّ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from Muhammad ibn Shu’ayb from al-Husayn ibn al-Hassan from ‘Asem from Yunus from those whom he has mentioned who has said the following: ”Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was seen giving sugar for charity. Someone asked, ‘Do you give sugar for charity?’ He (Imam) replied, ‘Yes, there is not anything more beloved to me than sugar, so I love to give for charity what is most beloved to me.’” 

4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) يَقُولُ مُوَسَّعٌ عَلَى شِيعَتِنَا أَنْ يُنْفِقُوا مِمَّا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ فَإِذَا قَامَ قَائِمُنَا حَرَّمَ عَلَى كُلِّ ذِي كَنْزٍ كَنْزَهُ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ بِهِ فَيَسْتَعِينَ بِهِ عَلَى عَدُوِّهِ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلا يُنْفِقُونَها فِي سَبِيلِ الله فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذابٍ أَلِيمٍ.

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Mu’adh ibn Kathir who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, Tt is permissible for our followers to spend as Benevolent Assistance from whatever they possess. When the one with Divine Authority will rise, it will then become unlawful for all possessors of treasure not to bring it to him so he can use it to overcome his enemies. This is stated in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ‘Those who treasure gold and silver and do not spend them for the cause of Allah, inform them of the painful torment that awaits them.’” 

5ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَسَّانَ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ بَكْ��ٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ حَصِّنُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بِالزَّكَاةِ.

5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Hassan from Musa ibn Bakr who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), has said, ‘Fortify your belongings by paying zakat.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 4

Book 1, Chapter 43