Chapter on Merit of Volunteering in Good Deeds

And from him, from Ali ibn Mahziyar, from Harun ibn Muslim, from Masadah ibn Sadaqah, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “Sadir entered upon my father (Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام) in the month of Ramadan. And Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام said: “O Sadir, do you know which nights these are?” So he (Sadir) said: “Yes, may my father be your ransom, these are the nights of the month of Ramadan. So what about it?” Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام said to him: “Are you able to free, on every night of these nights, ten slaves from the children of Ismail?” So Sadir said to him: “May my father and my mother be your ransom, my wealth does not reach that.” Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام continued reducing it until he brought it down to one slave, and in all of that he (Sadir) would say, ‘I am not able to do it.’ Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام said to him: “Then are you not able to give, on every night, a Muslim man food with which to break his fast?” Sadir said to Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام: “Yes, and ten.” So my father (Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام) said to Sadir: “That is what I intended, O Sadir. Your giving your Muslim brother food, with which to break his fast, is equal to freeing a slave from the children of Ismail.”