سَأَلَ هِشَامُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ عِلَّةِ الصِّيَامِ فَقَالَ
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إِنَّمَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الصِّيَامَ لِيَسْتَوِيَ بِهِ الْغَنِيُّ وَ الْفَقِيرُ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْغَنِيَّ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيَجِدَ مَسَّ الْجُوعِ فَيَرْحَمَ الْفَقِيرَ لِأَنَّ الْغَنِيَّ كُلَّمَا أَرَادَ شَيْئاً قَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ فَأَرَادَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنْ يُسَوِّيَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِهِ وَ أَنْ يُذِيقَ الْغَنِيَّ مَسَّ الْجُوعِ وَ الْأَلَمِ لِيَرِقَّ عَلَى الضَّعِيفِ فَيَرْحَمَ الْجَائِعَ.
Read English translationHide English translationBab Ul Qaim Publications — attributed by Thaqalayn
Hadith.1766 - Hisham ibn al-Hakam asked Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about the reason for fasting. Imam (as) said: "Allah (swt), the Almighty, prescribed fasting so that the rich and the poor may become equal. This is because the rich would not experience the pain of hunger to have mercy on the poor, as the rich, whenever they desire something, can obtain it. Thus, Allah (swt), the Almighty, willed to make His creation equal and to let the rich taste the pain of hunger and suffering so that they would feel compassion for the weak and have mercy on the hungry."
Translation: Bab Ul Qaim Publications — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.