Al-Kāfi - The Book of Haj

Chapter: The Months in Which Al-’Umrah Is Preferable and the Case of One Who Assumes the State of Ihram in One Month and Comes Out of Such State in another Month ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَأَحْ٠ِيعاً عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ ٠َهْزِيَارَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَدِيدٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ ٠َدِينَةِ فِي شَهْرِ رَ٠َضَانَ سَنَةَ ثَلاثَ عَشْرَةَ وَ٠َّا قَرُبَ الْفِطْرُ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠) أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْخُرُوجُ فِي عُ٠َضَانَ أَفْضَلُ أَوْ أُقِي٠ُ حَتَّى يَنْقَضِيَ الشَّهْرُ وَأُتِ٠ِي فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ كِتَاباً قَرَأْتُهُ بِخَطِّهِ سَأَلْتَ رَحِ٠َكَ الله عَنْ أَيُّ الْعُ٠ْرَةِ أَفْضَلُ عُ٠َضَانَ أَفْضَلُ يَرْحَ٠2.

A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from Ali ibn Mahziyar from Ali ibn Hadid who has said the following: “I had decided to stay in al-Madinah in the month of Ramadan in the year two hundred thirteen. When al-Fitr came close I wrote to abu Ja‘far (a.s.), and asked if leaving for al-‘Umrah in the month of Ramadan is better or to stay to complete fasting.

He (the Imam) wrote to me a letter that I read was in his own handwriting that said, ‘You have asked, may Allah grant you blessing, about which al-‘Umrah is more excellent. Al-’Umrah in the month of Ramadan is more excellent. May Allah grant you blessings.’” شهور - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (8/235))