Additional Salat (prayer) in the Month of Ramadan

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id who has narrated it from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, from Ali ibn abu Hamzah, from abu Basir who has said the following: “Once we visited abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), and abu Basir asked, ’What do you say about al- salat (prayer) during the month of Ramadan?’ He (the Imam) replied, ’The month of Ramadan has a special respect and right, unlike the other months. You should perform salat (prayer) as much as you can in optional forms during the nights and days. If you can, perform a thousand Rak’at salat (prayer) every twenty-four hours you can. Imam Ali (a.s.), toward the end of his life would say one thousand Rak’at salat (prayer) in twenty-four hours. O abu Muhammad, you should perform more salat (prayer) during the month of Ramadan.’ I then asked, ’I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, how many Rak’ats (should one perform)?’ He said, ’During the first twenty nights, say twenty Rak’ats each night; eight Rak’ats before al-‘Atmah (late evening) and twelve Rak’ats thereafter, besides the prayers you would say before. During the last ten days, you should say thirty Rak’at every night; eight Rak’at before late evening, and twenty-two Rak’ats thereafter besides what you had been saying before these nights.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah, from ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman from Muhammad ibn’ Adhafir from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A man once complained before the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, against his deprivation. He (the Holy Prophet) said, ‘Consider selling. You must buy then sell. In whatever merchandise you find profit, hold to it.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Once abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the case of a man who is absent and missing. He (the Imam) said, ‘If one is absent and missing for four years the authorities must send in writing to the area where he has disappeared, and if no trace of him is found the authority then commands his guardian to provide maintenance for her and she is his woman. 5 I (the narrator) then said, ‘She may say, “I want what women want.’” He (the Imam) said, ‘She cannot do so and it is not honorable. If his guardian did not provide maintenance or his attorney, then he (the authority) commands to divorce her and it then is obligatory divorce for her.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Ubayd from Yunus from abu al-‘Abbas al-Baqbaq and ‘Ubayd ibn Zurarah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, would increase his salat (prayer) during the month of Ramadan. After al-‘Atmah (late evening salat [prayer]), he would perform more prayers. People behind would stand up (for prayer), but he would go inside and leave them. Then, after he came out, they would come and stand up behind him (for prayer), but he would leave them and go inside several times.’ He (the narrator) has said that the Imam then said, ‘You must not perform salat (prayer) after late evening prayer during the times other than the month of Ramadan.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one starts a certain business, if he does not find any profit in it, he then must change it for another kind of business.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ibn ‘Udhaynah from Burayd ibn Mu‘awiyah who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who is absent and missing and about how to deal with the issue of his wife. He (the Imam) said, ‘If she is silent and has exercised patience, she is not disturbed, but if she brings her case before the authorities she will be told to wait for four years. Thereafter they write to the area where he has disappeared to find out about him. If information is achieved that he is alive, she then must wait; but if no information is found until four years the guardian of the husband is summoned and asked if any assets belonging to the missing man exist. If such assets exist then her maintenance must be paid therefrom until it is found out if he is alive or not. If no asset belonging to him exists his guardian is told to provide her maintenance. If his guardian provides her maintenance she has no way to marry; but if he did not provide her maintenance the authority then compels him to divorce her one divorce before her commencing waiting period when she is in a Hayd (menses)-free period. Divorce by the guardian is treated like the divorce of the husband. If the husband comes before the end of her waiting period from the day divorce has taken place and he decides to go back to her, she is his wife. She is for him for two more divorces, but if he comes after her waiting period ends then she becomes lawful for marriage to whoever she likes and the first husband has no way to her.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman from ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan would prepare himself well, stay away from women, stay awake the whole night, and free himself for worship.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from Ali ibn Shajarah from Bashir al-Nabbal who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When you (in a business) find sustenance in a certain item then you must continue with it.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from abu al-Sabbah al-Kinaniy who has said the following: “About the case of a woman whose husband is missing and absent for four years, has not provided her maintenance and it is not known if he is alive or not, if his guardian is compelled to divorce her. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he is compelled to do so. If he does not have any guardian, the authority and al- Sultan divorces her.’ I then asked what happens if the guardian says, ‘I can provide her maintenance?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He is not then forced to divorce her.’ I then asked what happens if she says, ‘I want what women want, I do not want to wait patiently as I am.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘She does not have such right and it is not honorable to say so when he provides maintenance.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Hassan from Sulayman al-Ja’fariy who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘In the twenty- first and twenty-third nights, you should perform salat (prayer) of one hundred Rak’ats and in each Rak’at read Chapter 112 of the Holy Quran ten times.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father all from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who is absent and missing. He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is known that he is in a certain location she waits for ever until the news of his death comes or her divorce. If it is not known where he is and no letter comes from him or any news, she then comes to the Imam who commands her to wait for four years and search for him in the land. If no trace of him is found until four years pass, she then is commanded to count her waiting period for four months and ten days and then she becomes lawful for men. If she marries after the end of her waiting period, he cannot go back to her and if he comes before the end of her waiting period he has the right to go back to her as her husband.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Salih ibn abu Hammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from ibn Sinan from abu Shu’ayb al-Muhamiliy from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from al-Fudayl ibn Yasar who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), during the twenty-first and twenty-third nights, would pray until the end of the night, then perform (the obligatory) salat (prayer).”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Mutahhar who wrote to Abu Muhammad (a.s.), and informed him (the Imam) about a Hadith about the Prophet (sw). It said that he (the Prophet) performed thirteen Rak‘at prayers including al-Witr and the two Rak‘at morning prayer during the nights in the month of Ramadan. He (the Imam) wrote, ‘May Allah break his (narrator’s) mouth. He (the Prophet), during the month of Ramadan in the first twenty nights, performed twenty Rak‘ats every night. He performed eight Rak‘ats after maghrib prayer and twelve after 'isha’ prayer. He would peform ghusl on the nineteenth, twenty-first and twenty-third nights. In those nights, he performed one hundred Rak‘at prayers. In each Rak‘at he recited the Fatiha of the Book (Surah 1) and "Qul huwa Allahu ahad" (Surah 112) ten times. He would perform thirty Rak‘at in the remaining nights to the end of the month, as I have explained for you.’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.