Chapter on the Virtue of Month of Ramadan and the Reward of Fasting in it
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 2|Book 2|Chapter 8
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh
Volume 2, Book 2, Chapter 8
Chapter on the Virtue of Month of Ramadan and the Reward of Fasting in it
رَوَى اَلْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ عَنْ أَبِي اَلْوَرْدِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «خَطَبَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ اَلنَّاسَ فِي آخِرِ جُمُعَةٍ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ فَحَمِدَ اَللَّهَ وَ أَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ «أَيُّهَا اَلنَّاسُ إِنَّهُ قَدْ أَظَلَّكُمْ شَهْرٌ فِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ «خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ» وَ هُوَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ فَرَضَ اَللَّهُ صِيَامَهُ وَ جَعَلَ قِيَامَ لَيْلَةٍ فِيهِ كَمَنْ تَطَوَّعَ بِصَلاَةٍ سَبْعِينَ لَيْلَةً فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنَ اَلشُّهُورِ وَ جَعَلَ لِمَنْ تَطَوَّعَ فِيهِ بِخَصْلَةٍ مِنْ خِصَالِ اَلْخَيْرِ وَ اَلْبِرِّ كَأَجْرِ مَنْ أَدَّى فَرِيضَةً مِنْ فَرَائِضِ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ مَنْ أَدَّى فَرِيضَةً مِنْ فَرَائِضِ اَللَّهِ كَانَ كَمَنْ أَدَّى سَبْعِينَ فَرِيضَةً فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنَ اَلشُّهُورِ وَ هُوَ شَهْرُ اَلصَّبْرِ وَ إِنَّ اَلصَّبْرَ ثَوَابُهُ اَلْجَنَّةُ وَ هُوَ شَهْرُ اَلْمُوَاسَاةِ وَ هُوَ شَهْرٌ يَزِيدُ اَللَّهُ فِيهِ رِزْقَ اَلْمُؤْمِنِ وَ مَنْ فَطَّرَ فِيهِ مُؤْمِناً صَائِماً كَانَ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ عِنْدَ اَللَّهِ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ وَ مَغْفِرَةٌ لِذُنُوبِهِ فِيمَا مَضَى » فَقِيلَ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ لَيْسَ كُلُّنَا نَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَنْ نُفَطِّرَ صَائِماً فَقَالَ «إِنَّ اَللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى كَرِيمٌ يُعْطِي هَذَا اَلثَّوَابَ مِنْكُمْ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْدِرْ إِلاَّ عَلَى مَذْقَةٍ مِنْ لَبَنٍ يُفَطِّرُ بِهَا صَائِماً أَوْ شَرْبَةٍ مِنْ مَاءِ عَذْبٍ أَوْ تُمَيْرَاتٍ لاَ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَ مَنْ خَفَّفَ فِيهِ عَنْ مَمْلُوكِهِ خَفَّفَ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَيْهِ حِسَابَهُ وَ هُوَ شَهْرٌ أَوَّلُهُ رَحْمَةٌ وَ وَسَطُهُ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَ آخِرُهُ إِجَابَةٌ وَ اَلْعِتْقُ مِنَ اَلنَّارِ وَ لاَ غِنَى بِكُمْ فِيهِ عَنْ أَرْبَعِ خِصَالٍ خَصْلَتَيْنِ تُرْضُونَ اَللَّهَ بِهِمَا وَ خَصْلَتَيْنِ لاَ غِنَى بِكُمْ عَنْهُمَا فَأَمَّا اَللَّتَانِ تُرْضُونَ اَللَّهَ بِهِمَا فَشَهَادَةُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اَللَّهُ وَ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ وَ أَمَّا اَللَّتَانِ لاَ غِنَى بِكُمْ عَنْهُمَا فَتَسْأَلُونَ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيهِ حَوَائِجَكُمْ وَ اَلْجَنَّةَ وَ تَسْأَلُونَ اَللَّهَ فِيهِ اَلْعَافِيَةَ وَ تَتَعَوَّذُونَ بِهِ مِنَ اَلنَّارِ ».
It is narrated by al-Hasan ibn Mahbub from Abu Ayyub, from Abu al-Ward, from Abu Ja‘far (Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام), who said: "The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) addressed the people on the last Friday of Sha‘ban. He praised Allah سبحانه وتعالى and glorified Him, then said: 'O people, indeed, a month is approaching you in which there is a night "better than a thousand months." It is the Month of Ramadan. Allah سبحانه وتعالى has made its fasting obligatory and standing in prayer on its nights equivalent to performing seventy voluntary prayers in other months. Whoever performs one act of goodness and charity in it will receive the reward of performing an obligatory act, and whoever performs an obligatory act will be rewarded as if he performed seventy obligatory acts in other months. It is the month of patience, and the reward for patience is Paradise. It is the month of solidarity and a month in which Allah سبحانه وتعالى increases the provision of the believer. Whoever provides food for a fasting believer to break their fast will have, with Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the reward of freeing a slave and forgiveness for their past sins.' Someone asked: 'O Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, not all of us can afford to provide food for a fasting person.' He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: 'Indeed, Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Blessed and Exalted, is generous and will grant this reward to one who provides even a sip of milk, a drink of fresh water, or a few dates to a fasting person. Whoever lightens the burden of their servant during this month, Allah سبحانه وتعالى will ease their reckoning. This is a month whose beginning is mercy, its middle is forgiveness, and its end is deliverance and freedom from the Fire. You are in need of four qualities during this month: two by which you please Allah سبحانه وتعالى and two without which you cannot do without. As for the two that please Him, Allah سبحانه وتعالى, they are the testimony that there is no god but Allah سبحانه وتعالى and that I am the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. As for the two you cannot do without, they are asking Allah سبحانه وتعالى for your needs and for Paradise, and seeking Allah’s سبحانه وتعالى protection from the Fire.'"
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh