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 مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ عَنِ السَّيَّارِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الرَّازِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الثَّانِي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا تَقُولُ فِي الصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ رُوِيَ أَنَّهُمْ لا يُوَفَّقُونَ لِصَوْمٍ فَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ أُجِيبَتْ دَعْوَةُ الْمَلَكِ فِيهِمْ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ وَكَيْفَ ذَلِكَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ لَمَّا قَتَلُوا الْحُسَيْنَ صَلَوَاتُ الله عَلَيْهِ أَمَرَ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مَلَكاً يُنَادِي أَيَّتُهَا الأُمَّةُ الظَّالِمَةُ الْقَاتِلَةُ عِتْرَةَ نَبِيِّهَا لا وَفَّقَكُمُ الله لِصَوْمٍ وَلا لِفِطْرٍ.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from al-Sayyariy from Muhammad ibn Isma‘il al-Raziy who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far, the 2nd (a.s.), ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, what do you say about fasting? It is narrated that they never unite in the matter of fasting? He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because the prayer of the angel is answered about them? I (the narrator) then asked, ‘How is that, I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘When people murdered al-Husayn (a.s.), Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, commanded an angel to announce, “O nation who has done injustice to itself, the killer of the descendents of its prophet, Allah will not unite you in the matter of fasting and al-Fitr”” 

2ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ حَنَانِ بْنِ سَدِيرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ قَالَ يَا عَبْدَ الله مَا مِنْ عِيدٍ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ أَضْحًى وَلا فِطْرٍ إِلاَّ وَهُوَ يُجَدِّدُ لآِلِ مُحَمَّدٍ فِيهِ حُزْناً قُلْتُ وَلِمَ ذَاكَ قَالَ لأَنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَ حَقَّهُمْ فِي يَدِ غَيْرِهِمْ.

2. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ali ibn al-Husayn from ‘Amru ibn ‘Uthman from Hanan ibn Sadir from ‘Abdullah ibn Dinar who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘O ‘Abdullah, there is no ‘Id for the Muslims, neither al-Adha’ nor al-Fitr, except that it renews sadness for the family of Muhammad.’ I then asked, ‘Why is it so?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Because they see their rights in the hands of others.” 

3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ لَطِيفٍ التَّفْلِيسِيِّ عَنْ رَزِينٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) لَمَّا ضُرِبَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ (عَلَيْهِما السَّلاَم) بِالسَّيْفِ فَسَقَطَ رَأْسُهُ ثُمَّ ابْتُدِرَ لِيُقْطَعَ رَأْسُهُ نَادَى مُنَادٍ مِنْ بُطْنَانِ الْعَرْشِ أَلا أَيَّتُهَا الأُمَّةُ الْمُتَحَيِّرَةُ الضَّالَّةُ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا لا وَفَّقَكُمُ الله لأَضْحًى وَلا لِفِطْرٍ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) فَلا جَرَمَ وَالله مَا وُفِّقُوا وَلا يُوَفَّقُونَ حَتَّى يَثْأَرَ ثَائِرُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع.

3. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from those whom he has mentioned from Muhammad ibn Sulayman from ‘Abdullah ibn Latif al-Taflisiy from Razin who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.), has said, ‘When al-Husayn ibn Ali (a.s.) was hit with the sword and his head fell, and they were about to sever his head, an announcer announced from the depth of the Throne, “O straying nation in confusion after its Prophet, Allah will not unite you in al-Adha’ and in al-Fitr!” He (the narrator) said that abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) then said, ‘Thereafter, by Allah, they did not unite and will not unite until the avenger of al-Husayn (a.s.) takes revenge.” 

4ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَرَّانِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ النَّوْفَلِيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) إِنِّي أَفْطَرْتُ يَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ عَلَى تِينٍ وَتَمْرَةٍ فَقَالَ لِي جَمَعْتَ بَرَكَةً وَسُنَّةً.

4. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from al-Harraniy from Ali ibn Muhammad al-Nawfaliy who has said the following: “I once said to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), ‘I used fig and dates for breaking my fast on the day of Fitr.' He (the Imam) said, ‘You have brought together blessing and a noble tradition.'” 

5ـ سَهْلُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ جَبَلَةَ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ الله (صلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) إِذَا أُتِيَ بِطِيبٍ يَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ بَدَأَ بِنِسَائِهِ. 

5. Sahl ibn Ziyad has narrated from Ya’qub ibn Yazid from Yahya ibn al-Mubarak from ‘Abdullah ibn Jabalah from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar or others, from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who said: “If the Messenger of Allah (sw) would receive any perfumes on the day of al-Fitr, he would first present it to his wives.“ 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 4

Book 2, Chapter 74