إِفْطَارُكَ لِأَخِيكَ الْمُؤْمِنِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صِيَامِكَ تَطَوُّعاً[1].
“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that your serving breakfasts to your brother (in belief) after sunset is more excellent than your fasting an optional fasting.”
مَنْ نَوَى الصَّوْمَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ عَلَى أَخِيهِ فَسَأَلَهُ أَنْ يُفْطِرَ عِنْدَهُ فَلْيُفْطِرْ وَ لْيُدْخِلْ عَلَيْهِ السُّرُورَ فَإِنَّهُ يُحْتَسَبُ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ عَشَرَةُ أَيَّامٍ وَ هُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- مَنْ جاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثالِها[2].
2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Barqiy from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from al-‘Is from Najm ibn Hutaym who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘If one decides to fast, and then goes to visit his brother (in belief) who offers to serve him food, he should break his fast f
قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَنْ دَخَلَ عَلَى أَخِيهِ وَ هُوَ صَائِمٌ فَأَفْطَرَ عِنْدَهُ وَ لَمْ يُعْلِمْهُ بِصَوْمِهِ فَيَمُنَّ عَلَيْهِ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ صَوْمَ سَنَةٍ.
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a fasting person visits his brother (in belief) who offers him food, and he accepts the offer without telling him about his fast, in order not to show that he is doing him a favor, Allah counts his fast as one year’s fasting.’”
دَخَلْتُ عَلَى جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ وَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ خِوَانٌ عَلَيْهِ غَسَّانِيَّةٌ[3] يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا فَقَالَ ادْنُ فَكُلْ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي صَائِمٌ فَتَرَكَنِي حَتَّى إِذَا أَكَلَهَا فَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهَا إِلَّا الْيَسِيرُ عَزَمَ عَلَيَّ أَلَّا أَفْطَرْتَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَلَّا كَانَ هَذَا قَبْلَ السَّاعَةِ[4] فَقَالَ أَرَدْتُ بِذَلِكَ أَدَبَكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ مُؤ
“If a fasting person visits his brother (in belief), who offers him food, and he accepts the offer without telling him about his fast, in order not to show that he is doing him a favor by accepting his offering food, Allah, majestic is whose mention, counts his fast as one year’s fasting.’””
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمَاضِي ع أَدْخُلُ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ وَ هُمْ يَأْكُلُونَ وَ قَدْ صَلَّيْتُ الْعَصْرَ وَ أَنَا صَائِمٌ فَيَقُولُونَ أَفْطِرْ فَقَالَ أَفْطِرْ فَإِنَّهُ أَفْضَلُ.
“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), ‘I may visit a people after late afternoon prayer while I am fasting and they offer me food, saying, “discontinue your fast.’” He (the Imam) said, ‘Accept the offer; it is better.’”
سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ لَإِفْطَارُكَ فِي مَنْزِلِ أَخِيكَ الْمُسْلِمِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صِيَامِكَ سَبْعِينَ ضِعْفاً أَوْ تِسْعِينَ ضِعْفاً.
“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘Your discontinuing your fast in the house of your brother in Islam is better than your fasting seventy or ninety times over.’”