Providing Food for a Believer

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Satisfying the hunger of a Muslim is more beloved to me than feeding a whole horizon of people.’ 1 then asked, ‘What is a horizon?’ The Imam said, ‘It is one hundred thousand or more people.’”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Whoever, feeds three Muslims, Allah will feed him from three gardens in the Kingdom of the heaven, the garden of al-Firdaws, (paradise), the garden of Eden and Tuba’, the tree that comes out of the garden of Eden is planted by our Lord with His own hands.’”

“The serving of a man’s food at his home to two of the believing people to their satisfaction is more meritorious than the setting free of a human soul.”

“Whoever provides food to a believer to satisfy his hunger Allah will feed him with the fruits of paradise and whoever provides water to quench the thirst of a believer Allah will quench his thirst from the wine of paradise which is in sealed containers.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘If one serves food to a believer to satisfy his hunger, no one of the creatures of Allah will be able to find out how much reward he will have in the hereafter for such service, not even the angels close to Allah or a prophet Divinely commissioned to preach can find out except Allah, Lord of the worlds. ’ The Imam then said, ‘Among the means of forgiveness of sins is feeding a hungry Muslim.’ Then he read the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy: ‘. . . in a day of famine, the feeding of (9:14) an orphaned relative (9:15) and downtrodden destitute person, . . .’” (9:16)

“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) asked, ‘Do you love your brothers (in belief) O Husayn?’ I said, ‘Yes, 1 love them.’ The Imam asked, ‘Do you provide any benefit for their poor?’ I said, ‘Yes, I do so.’ The Imam said, ‘It is obligatory for you to love whoever loves Allah. By Allah you will not provide any benefit to any of them unless you love them. Do you invite them to your house?’ I said, ‘Yes, I do so. I do not eat unless there are two, three men or less or more. ’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) then said, ‘Their excellence over you is more than your excellence over them.’ I then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, I feed them my food on my own table on my furnishings. How can their excellence be greater than my excellence?’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, it is because when they come to your house they bring with them forgiveness for you and for your family and when they leave your house they leave along with your sins and the sins of your family.’”

“Our people were mentioned before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.). I said, ‘I do not eat lunch or dinner without two, three or more or less of them with me.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) said, ‘Their merit over you is greater than your merit over them.’ I then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, how can it be as such? I feed them and spent for them from my property and my family serves them.’ The Imam said, ‘When they come to you they come with plenty of sustenance from Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and when they leave, they do so with forgiveness for you.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Feeding a Muslim man is more beloved to me than setting free a horizon (full) of people.’ I then asked, ‘How many is a horizon of people?’ The Imam said, ‘It is ten thousand people.’”

“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) said, ‘Whoever feeds his Muslim brother (in belief) for the sake of Allah his reward will be like the reward of a person who feeds a Fi’Am, (whole group) of people.’ 1 then asked, ‘How many is a Fi’am of people?’ The Imam said, ‘It is one hundred thousand people.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has asked, ‘What prevents you from setting free a soul every day?’ I said, ‘My property is not enough to bear it.’ The Imam said, ‘Feed a Muslim every day.’ I asked, ‘Is it so, regardless, of his being affluent or poor?’ The Imam said, ‘Affluent people also desire food.’”

“A meal that (I may provide) for a Muslim brother (in belief) is more beloved to me than setting free a slave.”

“Feeding one of my brothers (in belief) to his satisfaction is more beloved to me than entering your market to buy a slave and set him free.”

“With five Dirhams, if I enter your market to buy food to feed a few Muslim people is more beloved to me than setting free of a slave.”

“Muhammad ibn Ali (a.s.) asked, ‘How much is the value of setting free a slave?’ The Imam said, ‘It is equal to feeding a Muslim man to his satisfaction.’”

“I do not find anything equal in reward to visiting a believer except feeding him. Allah considers it His responsibility to feed, from the food of paradise, one who feeds a believer.”

“Feeding a needy believer is more beloved to me than visiting him, and to visit him is more beloved to me than setting free of ten slaves.”

“Whoever feeds an affluent believer it is equal to setting free a slave from the descendents of Isma’il and rescuing him from slaughter. Whoever feeds a needy believer, it is equal in reward for him to set free one hundred slaves from the descendents of Isma’il and rescue them from being slaughtered.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Feeding a believer is, indeed, more beloved to me than setting free ten slaves and performing ten Hajj.’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘Is it like setting free ten slaves and performing ten Hajj?’ He has said that the Imam said, ‘O Nasr, if you do not feed him he will die or you will humiliate him, then he will go to one who is a bitter enemy of the Imam and will ask him for help. Death is better for him than asking help from such enemy of the Imam. O Nasr, giving life to a believer is like giving life to all mankind. If you do not feed him you have caused his death, if you feed him you have given him life.’”