Volume 4 of 8

(Fru‘ al-Kafi)

In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful

Part One

The Book of Zakat

Chapters on Charities

Chapter 1

Virtue of Charity

H 5965, Ch. 1, h 1

Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim has narrated from his father, from al-Husayn ibn Yazid al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Charity dispels wicked forms of death.’”

H 5966, Ch. 1, h 2

Muhammad ibn Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan and Ahmad ibn Idris from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar all from Safwan ibn Yahya from Ishaq ibn Ghalib from those who narrated to him who has said the following:

“Abu Ja’far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Benevolence and charity remove poverty, increase longevity of life and dispel seventy kinds of wicked forms of death.” Another Hadith has said that it ‘dispels wicked forms of death from our Shi‘ah.’”

H 5967, Ch. 1, h 3

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from abu ‘Abd Allah from his father from Khalaf ibn Hammad from Isma‘il al-Jawhariy from abu Basir who has said the following:

“Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘I like performing Hajj more than setting free a slave, another slave and another slave . . .’ He went on to say up to ten slaves, and then up to seventy slaves. He then said, ‘If I support a Muslim family, satisfy their hunger, provide them clothes, and protect their dignity among people, it is more beloved to me than performing a Hajj and a Hajj and a Hajj . . .’ He went on to say up to seventy Hajj.”

H 5968, Ch. 1, h 4

A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘One who is certain of (good) consequences, he strives to make it a good gift.’”

H 5969, Ch. 1, h 5

Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Khalid, from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Qasim, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Cure your illnesses by giving charity, repel misfortunes with prayer, and allow means of sustenance to descend upon you by giving charity. Charity finds its way through the beards of seven hundred Satans. No other thing is heavier upon Satan than when you give charity to a believing person. It finds its place in the hand of the Lord, the Most Blessed, the Most High, before finding its place in the hand of a servant (of Allah).”’

H 5970, Ch. 1, h 6

Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah has narrated from his grandfather from Muhammad ibn Ali from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl from ‘Abd alRahman ibn Zayd who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘The land on the Day of Judgment is all fire except the shadow of a believing person. His charity provides him shadow.’”

H 5971, Ch. 1, h 7

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following:

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, say, ‘Giving charity by one’s own hand repels seventy kinds of misfortune, which finds its way out through the beards of seven hundred Satans who all try to stop him from giving charity.’”

H 5972, Ch. 1, h 8

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Nu’man from Mu‘awiyah ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following:

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, narrate this Hadith. ‘It is in the will of the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, which is addressed to ’Amir al-Mu’minin, ‘Alayhi al-Salam. “As far as charity is concerned, strive to do your best until it is said that you have exceeded the limit, but in fact you have not exceeded.” He (the Messenger of Allah) has explained.’”

H 5973, Ch. 1, h 9

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that it is preferable for a person suffering from illness to give charity with his own hand to one who asks for charity, then ask him to pray for him.”

H 5974, Ch. 1, h 10

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from Muhammad ibn Ali from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Yazid who has said the following:

“I informed abu al-Hassan al-Rida, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about the passing away of my two sons and that only one small son is living. The Imam said, ‘You should give charity for his safety.’ When I was about to leave, he said, ‘Ask your son to give charity with his own hands; it can be a piece, a handful or even something very small. Anything whereby one can seek the pleasure of Allah with true intention, even though very small, is a great thing. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, says, “Whoever does a good deed, even if it is as small as the size of an atom, he will find its result; so also is the case of one who does a bad deed. (99:7-8)” He has also said, “They have not yet entered al-‘Aqabah (mountain-pass). What do you think al-‘Aqabah is? Al-‘Aqabah is the setting free of a slave or providing food during a famine for a relative’s orphan or to a destitute person. (90:11-16)” He has also said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, knows that everyone is unable to set a slave free. Thus, in the giving of charity, He has considered feeding an orphan or a destitute person the same as setting free a slave.’”

H 5975, Ch. 1, h 11

More than one person from our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from more than one narrator from abu Jamilah who has said the following:

“This is a narration of abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, from the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He (the Messenger of Allah) has said, ‘You must give charity even if it is one Sa‘ (a certain unit of measurement) of dates or less, or a handful or less or one piece of date or less, and if one does not find even this much, he should speak a soothing word. One of you may come in the presence of Allah who may ask, “Did I not do for you (all the things you have)? Did I not give you eyes and ears; did I not give you property and children?” He will say, “Yes, You gave me all such things.” Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, will say, “Look what you have sent for yourself?”’ He then said, ‘This person then looks around to his front, back, right and left and does not find anything to protect him from the fire.’”

Chapter 2

Giving Charity Repels Misfortune

H 5976, Ch. 2, h 1

A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from abu Wallad who has said the following:

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, say, ‘You must not be late in giving charity, and be interested in it. Any believing person who just for the sake of Allah gives charity so that Allah may protect him against the evil of things that come down from the heaven to earth on that day, that person should know that Allah does keep him safe from the evil of things that come down from heaven to earth on that day.’”

H 5977, Ch. 2, h 2

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following:

“This is a narration of abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, from his ancestors. The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Allah, the Lord, besides whom no one deserves to be worshipped, certainly repels by charity illnesses such as plague, boils, drowning, death by falling of crumbling debris, insanity, and so on. . . . He counted up to seventy kinds of misfortunes.”’

H 5978, Ch. 2, h 3

Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Ali from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Asadiy from Salim ibn Mukram who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘One day a Jewish man passed by the Holy Prophet, who said, “Assam Alaykum,” and the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, said, “Wa ‘Alayka” (the same to you). His companions said, ‘What the Jewish person said meant “death to you.”’ The Holy Prophet said, ‘I said the same to you.’ The Holy Prophet then said, ‘A black serpent will bite him (Jewish man) on his back, and it will kill him.’ The Jewish man went and collected a great deal of firewood, then carried it on his back; after a short while, he returned. The Messenger of Allah asked him to leave his firewood on the ground. He agreed, not realizing there was a black serpent biting on a twig inside the bunch of firewood. The Messenger of Allah asked, ‘What did you do today, Jewish man?’ He replied, ‘I did not do anything other than collecting this firewood and moving. While returning, I ate one of the two cakes I had, and gave the other one as charity to a destitute person.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Because of that charity, Allah protected you. Giving charity repels bad forms of death from man.’”

H 5979, Ch. 2, h 4

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father, from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that Ali, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘They (reliable people) were of the opinion that by giving charity, a man saves himself from suffering injustice.’”

H 5980, Ch. 2, h 5

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Sulayman ibn ‘Amr al-Nakha‘iy who has said the following:

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, say, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Do not be late in giving charity; misfortunes cannot bypass it (charity).”’