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 عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) مَا تَقُولُ فِي الاعْتِكَافِ بِبَغْدَادَ فِي بَعْضِ مَسَاجِدِهَا فَقَالَ لا اعْتِكَافَ إِلاَّ فِي مَسْجِدِ جَمَاعَةٍ قَدْ صَلَّى فِيهِ إِمَامٌ عَدْلٌ بِصَلاةِ جَمَاعَةٍ وَلا بَأْسَ أَنْ يُعْتَكَفَ فِي مَسْجِدِ الْكُوفَةِ وَالْبَصْرَةِ وَمَسْجِدِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَمَسْجِدِ مَكَّةَ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from ‘Umar ibn Yazid who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about performing Ttikaf in a certain Masjid of Baghdad. He (the Imam) said, ’Without a Masjid in which Salat (prayer) in congregation is held behind a just Imam, Ttikaf is not valid. It is not harmful to do Ttikaf in Masjid of al-Kufah, in al- Basrah, in al-Madinah or Makkah.’” 

2ـ سَهْلُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ سِرْحَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ لا اعْتِكَافَ إِلاَّ فِي الْعِشْرِينَ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَقَالَ إِنَّ عَلِيّاً صَلَوَاتُ الله عَلَيْهِ كَانَ يَقُولُ لا أَرَى الاعْتِكَافَ إِلاَّ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَوْ مَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ أَوْ مَسْجِدٍ جَامِعٍ وَلا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُعْتَكِفِ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ إِلاَّ لِحَاجَةٍ لا بُدَّ مِنْهَا ثُمَّ لا يَجْلِسْ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ وَالْمَرْأَةُ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ.

2. Sahl ibn Ziyad has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Dawud ibn Sarhan who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Without passing the twentieth day of the month of Ramadan Ttikaf is not valid.’ He (the Imam) then said that Ali ‘Alayhi al-Salam, would say, “I do not see Ttikaf, unless it is in Masjid al-Haram, Masjid of the Messenger of Allah, or a Jami‘ Masjid (central). It is not proper for one performing ’Ttikaf to go out of Masjid except for one’s urgent needs without which one cannot do, but then one must not sit down until one returns. The same rule applies to women.’”” 

3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ سُئِلَ عَنِ الاعْتِكَافِ قَالَ لا يَصْلُحُ الاعْتِكَافُ إِلاَّ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَوْ مَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ (صلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَوْ مَسْجِدِ الْكُوفَةِ أَوْ مَسْجِدِ جَمَاعَةٍ وَتَصُومُ مَا دُمْتَ مُعْتَكِفاً.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about ’Ttikaf. He (the Imam) said, ‘Without Masjid ’Ttikaf is not valid, only in Masjid like Masjid al-Haram, Masjid of the Messenger of Allah, Masjid al-Kufah or Masjid al-Jami‘ and you must fast in the time you are in the state of ’Ttikaf.’” 

4ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ الْمُعْتَكِفُ بِمَكَّةَ يُصَلِّي فِي أَيِّ بُيُوتِهَا شَاءَ سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ صَلَّى أَوْ فِي بُيُوتِهَا.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Fadalah ibn Ayyub from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘One performing ’Ttikaf in Makkah can perform Salat (prayer) in any of its houses or Masjid; it is all the same.’” 

5ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأَشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ الْمُعْتَكِفُ بِمَكَّةَ يُصَلِّي فِي أَيِّ بُيُوتِهَا شَاءَ وَالْمُعْتَكِفُ فِي غَيْرِهِ لا يُصَلِّي إِلاَّ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الَّذِي سَمَّاهُ. 

5. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Mansur ibn Hazim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One who performs ’Ttikaf in Makkah can perform Salat (prayer) in any of its houses that he chooses, and one performing ’Ttikaf in other places cannot perform Salat (prayer), unless it is the Masjid which he has determined.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 4

Book 2, Chapter 78