Al-Kāfi - The Book of Fasting

Chapter: The Excellence of Fast and Fasting َّدُ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ ثَعْلَبَةَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠) أَ لا أُخْبِرُكَ بِأَصْلِ الإِسْلا٠ِ وَفَرْعِهِ وَذِرْوَتِهِ وَسَنَا٠ِهِ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ أَصْلُهُ الصَّلاةُ وَفَرْعُهُ الزَّكَاةُ وَذِرْوَتُهُ وَسَنَا٠ُهُ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ الله أَ لا أُخْبِرُكَ بِأَبْوَابِ الْخَيْرِ إِنَّ الصَّوْ٠3.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from ibn Faddal from Tha’labah from Ali ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once asked me, ‘Should I tell you what the root, the branch, the peak and the highest point of Islam is?’ I replied, ‘Please, do so.’ He said, ‘The root of Islam is salat (prayer), its branch is zakat, and its peak and highest point is al-Jihad in the way of Allah.

Should I tell you about the doors to goodness? Fasting certainly is a shield.’” جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (16/198))