Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief Chapter: Providing Food for a Believer 20ـ صَالِحُ بْنُ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ نَصْرِ بْنِ قَابُوسَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠ِنٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ ٠ِنْ عِتْقِ عَشْرِ رِقَابٍ وَعَشْرِ حِجَجٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ عَشْرِ رِقَابٍ وَعَشْرِ حِجَجٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ يَا نَصْرُ إِنْ لَ٠َاتَ أَوْ تَدُلُّونَهُ فَيَجِي‏ءُ إِلَى نَاصِبٍ فَيَسْأَلُهُ وَالْ٠َوْتُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ ٠َسْأَلَةِ نَاصِبٍ يَا نَصْرُ ٠َا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَ٠ُوهُ وَإِنْ أَطْعَ٠ُوهُ فَقَدْ أَحْيَيْتُ٠20.

Salih ibn ‘Aqabah has narrated from Nasr ibn Qabus from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “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.’” ضعيف - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (9/132))