Virtue of Serving Food

مِنْ مُوجِبَاتِ مَغْفِرَةِ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى إِطْعَامُ الطَّعَامِ.

“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘Serving food is one of the reasons for which Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, grants forgiveness.”’

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ حُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ وَ إِطْعَامُ الطَّعَامِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Having good moral behavior and serving food is part of belief.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ أَطْعَمَ الطَّعَامَ وَ أَفْشَى السَّلَامَ وَ صَلَّى وَ النَّاسُ نِيَامٌ.

“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, has said, ‘The best among you are those who serve food, offer greetings of peace aloud and perform Salat (prayer) when people are sleeping.’”

كَانَ عَلِيٌّ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّا أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ أُمِرْنَا أَنْ نُطْعِمَ الطَّعَامَ وَ نُؤَدِّيَ فِي النَّاسِ الْبَائِنَةَ[2] وَ نُصَلِّيَ إِذَا نَامَ النَّاسُ.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from Muhammad ibn Ali from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Sayf ibn ‘Amirah from ‘Umar ibn Shamir from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘Ali (a.s.), would say, “We are a family who are commanded (by Allah) to serve food, send gi

الْمُنْجِيَاتُ إِطْعَامُ الطَّعَامِ وَ إِفْشَاءُ السَّلَامِ وَ الصَّلَاةُ بِاللَّيْلِ وَ النَّاسُ نِيَامٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that serving food, offering greetings of peace aloud and performing Salat (prayer) when people are sleeping are reasons for which one may gain salvation.”

إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى يُحِبُّ إِهْرَاقَ الدِّمَاءِ[2] وَ إِطْعَامَ الطَّعَامِ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, loves (shedding blood of edible animals) for serving meat and food.’”

مِنْ أَحَبِّ الْأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِشْبَاعُ جَوْعَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِ أَوْ تَنْفِيسُ كُرْبَتِهِ أَوْ قَضَاءُ دَيْنِهِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that of the most beloved deeds in the sight of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, is satisfying the hunger of a believer, relieving his suffering, or paying off his debts.”

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يُحِبُّ إِطْعَامَ الطَّعَامِ وَ إِرَاقَةَ الدِّمَاءِ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, loves serving food and shedding blood (of edible animals for meat to serve for food).’”

أُتِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص بِأُسَارَى فَقُدِّمَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ لِيُضْرَبَ عُنُقُهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ جَبْرَئِيلُ أَخِّرْ هَذَا الْيَوْمَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ فَرَدَّهُ وَ أَخْرَجَ غَيْرَهُ حَتَّى كَانَ هُوَ آخِرَهُمْ فَدَعَا بِهِ لِيُضْرَبَ عُنُقُهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ جَبْرَئِيلُ يَا مُحَمَّدُ رَبُّكَ يُقْرِئُكَ السَّلَامَ وَ يَقُولُ لَكَ إِنَّ أَسِيرَكَ هَذَا يُطْعِمُ الطَّعَامَ وَ يَقْرِي الضَّيْفَ وَ يَصْبِرُ عَلَى النَّائِبَةِ وَ ي

9. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam, from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from a man who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that certain prisoners of war were brought before the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his fa

الرِّزْقُ أَسْرَعُ إِلَى مَنْ يُطْعِمُ الطَّعَامَ مِنَ السِّكِّينِ فِي السَّنَامِ.

“Ja’far from his father (a.s.), has narrated that the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Sustenance comes to a man, who serves food, faster than a knife goes into the hump on the back of a camel.’”

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يَقُولُ‌ مِنْ مُوجِبَاتِ مَغْفِرَةِ الرَّبِّ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى إِطْعَامُ الطَّعَامِ.

“Abu al-Hassan (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 say, ‘Of the reasons for the Lord, the Most Blessed, the most High, to grant forgiveness is one’s serving food.’”

كَانَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع إِذَا أَكَلَ أُتِيَ بِصَحْفَةٍ[1] فَتُوضَعُ بِقُرْبِ مَائِدَتِهِ فَيَعْمِدُ إِلَى أَطْيَبِ الطَّعَامِ مِمَّا يُؤْتَى بِهِ فَيَأْخُذُ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ شَيْئاً فَيَضَعُ فِي تِلْكَ الصَّحْفَةِ ثُمَّ يَأْمُرُ بِهَا لِلْمَسَاكِينِ ثُمَّ يَتْلُو هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ- فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى عِتْقِ رَق

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida (a.s.), would ask for an empty plate before having food. He would keep it on one side at the table, then pick up the best of food from each kind brought for him, place them on the empty plate, and ask his people to give it to destitute people. He then would read this, ‘. . . they have not entere

قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمَا لِيُنْفِقِ الرَّجُلُ بِالْقَصْدِ وَ بُلْغَةِ الْكَفَافِ وَ يُقَدِّمُ مِنْهُ فَضْلًا لآِخِرَتِهِ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَبْقَى لِلنِّعْمَةِ وَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْمَزِيدِ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أَنْفَعُ فِي الْعَافِيَةِ.

’One should spend moderately to a sufficient limit and send the extra for his next life. This is a better conservation of bounties, closer to its increase from Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, and more beneficial for good health (or consequences).’”