www.duas.org

Back to Contents Page

• TIME OF DUA

• PLACE OF DUA

• DUAS WHICH ARE ANSWERED

• THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TIME OF DUA

• THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PLACE OF DUA

• THE RELATION OF GOOD DEEDS WITH DUA

• DUA UNDER SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE

a - Friday and Friday night
  Imam Sadeq (A.S.) has said
*   *  
65.  The Sun has not risen on a day better than Friday.  When the birds of sky meet one another on this day, they greet one another saying: What a good day!  
66.  It is related that the Holy Prophet of Islam (SAW) chose Thursday to leave his room for outside fresh air in the beginning of summer and chose Friday to his return to room in the beginning of winter.”
  It is related that Imam Baqer (A.S.) has said:
*    *  
“If  you decide to give charity, delay it until Friday.”  
  Imam Baqer (A.S.) has also said:  
*    *  
67.  “Throughout Friday night God calls:
-Isn’t there any believing servant who calls upon Me until before dawn so that I will grant his worldly and spiritual request?  
-Isn’t there any believing servant who repents his sins before down so that I will forgive him?  
-Isn’t there any believing servant whose sustenance is meager and asks Me to increase it before dawn so that I will increase his sustenance?  
-Isn’t there any ailing and believing servant who asks Me to heal him before dawn so that I will heal him?  
-Isn’t there any imprisoned servant who asks Me to free him from prison so that I will free him from prison?  
-Isn’t there any oppressed believing servant who asks Me to take his right from the oppressor before dawn so that I will help him and restore his right?  
  Imam Baqer or Imam Sadeq (A.S.) has said:  
*     *  
68.  “The believing servant makes a request to God and God too delays it until Friday.”  
The Holy Prophet of Islam (SAW) has said:  
*     *  
69.  “Surely Friday is the master of days and the most glorious day of God.  Rather it is superior to Eidolfetr and Eidolazha.  Friday has five advantages:  
-God created Adam (AS) on this day.  
-God sent down Adam (AS) from paradise to earth on the same day.  
-God took the life of Adam on such a day.  
-There are hours in Friday when every one who requests something from God, it will be granted provided that it is lawful.
-Archangels, the heavens, the earth, winds, mountains, and trees fear that the Last Day occurs on such a day.”
  The children of Jacob asked their father to request god to forgive them.  Jacob said; 
*    *  
“I will ask for you forgiveness from, my Lord”  (Yunus, verse 98)
  Interpreting this verse, Imam Sadeq (AS) has said:  
*    *
70.  “Jacob delayed asking forgiveness until dawn of Friday night.”  
  There are two hours on Friday when Duas are answered: one is when Friday leader has completed the sermon and the worshippers are prepared for Friday prayer.  
  The other is the last moments of Friday that is:  
71.  “When half face of the sun is hidden.”  
  Imam Baqer (AS) has said:
*     *  
72.  “On Friday one must keep a time from the beginning of moon until an hour, for the Holy Prophet of Islam (SAW) has said during this hour no servant requests anything from God unless his request is granted.  
b.  On Wednesday between noon and afternoon:
Jaber Ibne Abdullah Ansari has thus narrated:
  During Ahzab Battle, the Holy Prophet (SAW) prayed on Monday and Tuesday against atheists and his request was granted between noon and afternoon of Wednesday as the result of which happiness appeared on his face.  I too prayed at the same time and whenever I faced a problem, my Dua was answered.
c.  Time of night prayer  
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:  
*    *
73.  “Anyone of you who has a need, should request it during night prayer, for it is especially for you and it has not been granted to former nations (ummahs).”  
d.  The first one sixth of midnight.  
  First, there are Hadiths indicating the virtues of the recommended prayer after midnight while people are asleep.
  Secondly, there are Hadiths indicating the virtues of rememberance of God among those heedless of Him.
Thirdly, Omar Ibne Ozaineh has quoted Imam Sadeq (AS) as saying:  
*     *  
74.  “There is an hour in night which if a believing servant appreciates by performing prayer and calling upon God, his request will be certainly granted.  I said: My God bless you, which is that hour?  He said: After midnight, the first one sixth of its second half.  
e.  One third of the last hours of night  
  There are many Hadiths in this relation  
The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:  
*     *  
75.  “In the last hours of every night, God says:  
-Is there anyone who calls upon Me so that I will answer him?  
-Is there anyone who request so that I will grant it?  
-Is there anyone asking forgiveness so that I will forgive him?  
-Is there anyone repenting so that I will accept his repentence?  
  Ibrahim Ibne Abi Mahmood says I said to Imam Reza (AS): people say: The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said: God comes to the sky of the world every night.  What is your opinion of it?  He said:  
*      *  
76.  “May God curse those who distort the words of others.  By God! The Holy Prophet (SAW) did not day it, rather he said: In the last third of every night and on Friday night, from its beginning, God sends an angel to the sky of this world calling:  
-Is there anyone who calls upon Me so that I will grant his request?  
-Is there anyone who repents so that I will accept his repentence?  
-Is there anyone asking forgiveness so that I will forgive him?  
-O seeker of good! come to Me and O seeker of evil! stop it.  God keeps on calling until dawn.  At this time that angel returns to his place in the heavens.  This was polyquoted by my father, his father and the Holy Prophet (SAW).”  

Advice

  One who truly acknowledges the Holy Prophet of Islam (SAW) and his cleansed and pure children (AS) and knows that whatever these honorable ones have brought from God, is true, should present his needs to God during these hours and should not leave His call unresponded.  Otherwise he will be among those about Whom God has said:  
*     *  
  “Surely those who are too proud for My service shall soon enter hell abased.”  Hence he will be among those deprived of God’s Mercy and the heavy load of sins will rest on his shoulders as mentioned in the following Hadith:  
*     *  
77.  “Whoever abandons request from God, will become destitute.”  
  About recommended prayer after midnight, Imam Sadeq (AS) says: 
*     *  
78.  “Don’t let your eyes fully enjoy sleep, for eyes are the least thankful to God.”  
  In this connection, the Holy Prophet of Islam has said:  
*     *  
79.  “When a true believer rises up to please God with the recommended prayer after midnight, while slumber has overpowered his eyes, God speaks proudly to His angels saying: Do you see this servant of mine who has risen up to perform the prayer which is not obligatory! Therefore I take you as witness that I have forgiven his sins.”  

Advantage  

  Each day is divided into twelve hours and each hour is associated with one of the twelve Imams (AS) and it is proper to seek the mediation of that Imam in that hour.  There are special Duas for those hours in the book “Mesbah”.  Seyed Ibne Tavoos too says the days of week are associated with the Imams (AS) and each day we are their guests.  Hence Ziyarat (visitation) of the Imam or Imams would be proper on that day as follows:
 Saturday is associated with the Holy Prophet (SAW)
 Sunday is associated with Imam Ali (AS)
 Monday is associated with Imam Hassan and Imam Hussein (AS)
 Tuesday is associated with Imam Zainol Abedeen, Imam Baqeer and Imam Sadeq (AS)  
 Wednesday is associated with Imam Kazem, Imam Reza, Imam Javad and Imam Hadi (AS)
 Thursday is associated with Imam Hassan Asgari
 Friday is associated with Imam Mehdi (AS)

f.  Grand Night (Leylatolghadr)
Grand night is in the holy month of Ramadhan but it is not clear which night it is.  It may be 19th, 21st or 23rd night is the most likely.  
g.   Ahya Nights (spending night awake)
  There are four nights during which keeping vigil is recommended.  These nights are:  
1.  The first night of Rajab  
2.  The night of fifteenth of Sha-baan.  
3.  The night of E’edul Fitr  
4.  The night of E’edul D’uh’aa  
  It is related that:  
80.  “It was surprising for Imam Ali to be idle on such nights and not to pray.”  
h.  Araf day  
  It is a day for prayer (Dua) and asking one’s need.  Hence although observing fast is highly recommended if one becomes too ill to pray, it is better to pray and not fast.  
i.  When wind is blowing  
j.  When call to prayer is made  
k. When it is raining  
l.  When the first drop of a martyr’s blood is dripped.  
Zeid shahham has quoted Imam Sadeq (AS) as saying:
*      *  
81.  “Pray on four occasions: When the wind is blowing, at noon, when rain is falling, and when the first drop of a believer’s blood drips, for at such times the gates of heavens are opened.”  
Imam Sadeq (AS) also has said:  
*      *  
82.  “When noon arrives, the gates of heavens will be opened and great desires will be fulfilled.”  
The Imam was asked how long?  The Imam said:  
*      *  
  “During a time one can perform a four-rakat prayer with tranquility.”  
m.  From dawn to sunrise  
Abol Sabak Kanani quotes Imam Baqer (AS) as saying:
*      *  
83.  “God answers the call of those servants of His who often pray (Dua).  Therefore, pray at dawns until sunrise, for the gates of paradise are opened at this time.  Daily food is distributed at this time and great needs are met.”  

a - Arafaat land
  It has been related that:
*     *
84.  “On that Day of A’rafah, God says to His angels: O My angels! Don’t you see My servants who have come from various countries with their hair disshevelled and dust on their faces?  Do you know what they want?  The angels say: O Lord, They are asking You to forgive their sins.  A this time God says: I take you as witness that I have forgiven their sins.”
  It has also been related that:
*      *
85.  “Some of the sins are forgiven only these occasions: Arafat and Masharolharam about which God said: When you leave Arafat, remember God in Masharolharam, and one of the nights of Ahya.”
b.  The two Sanctuaries (in Mecca)
  Imam Reza (AS) has said:
*     *
86.  “No one has ever had a stop on these mountains unless his prayer was answered.  If he is a believer, he will have a spiritual reward and if he is an unbeliever, he will have a worldly reward.”
c.  Mosque
  Since mosque is God’s  house, anyone going there wishes to visit God.  A sacred Hadith says:  
*     *
87.  “Know that mosque are My houses on the earth, therefore happy is a servant who performs ablution in his own house and visits Me in My house.”
  God is too generous to leave His pilgrims desperate and deprived.  
  Saeed Ibne Mosleum has quoted Moavieh Ibne Ammar that whenever Imam Sadeq (AS) had a need, he request it at noon, that is to say, he first gave alms, sniffed something with good smell. then went to mosque and request his need from God.  It goes without saying that what he did suggests four things:
 First, noon is the time of requesting your need.
 Second, it is recommended to give alms.
 Third, it is good to sniff something with good smell.
 Fourth, mosque is a good place for requesting one’s needs.
d.  Near the Holy shrine of Imam Hussein
  The Holy shrine of Imam Hussein is more sacred and honorable than other places.  A Hadith says:
*     *
88.  “God has compensated Imam Hussein’s martydom with four rewards:
-He has placed healing in his tomb
-He has placed fulfilment of legitimate desires under his dome
-The following Imams are his offsprings
-The time pilgrims spend for his visitation is not considered as part of their life.”
  It has been related that once Imam Sadeq (AS) was ill.  The Imam ordered someone to be hired to go to the tomb of Imam Hussein and to pray for him.  The hired man expressed surprise, for to him there was no difference between the two Imams.  Therefore he asked for the reason.  Imam Sadeq (AS) said: 
*    *
89.  “This man is right but he does not know that God has specified lands where Duas are answered and the Holy shrine of Imam Hussein is one of them.”

a - A Dua  containing the Chief Name of God whether specified or unspecified.
  No one but the prophets and Imams know what the Chief Name of God is.  Ibne Abbas quoting the Holy Prophet of Islam (SAW) has said:
90.  “The Chief Name of God is in the last verses of the Quranic Chapter Hashr (The Bamishment).”  
91.  “The chief Name of God is in the Throne verse and in the beginning of Alay Imran (The Family of Imran) hence the Everliving, the Self-subsisting (Alhayyolghayoom) are said to be surely the Chief Names of God, for it is only these two attributes that are both in the Throne verse and in the beginning of Alay Imran.”
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*      *
92.  “In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful is closer to the Chief Name of God than the black of eye to its white.”
It is said that the Chief Name of God is either     *      *
“the Everliving or the Self-subsisting” or
(Ya Zaljalal val Ekram)                                  *      *
93.  “The Lord of Majesty and honor”

(Ya hova ya man lahova ella hoo)                  *      *

94.  “It is Allah”                                            *      *
  Which is the most known Attribute of God.  It has the most superior position among words for remembering God.  It is the Imam of other Names.  In the monotheistic words (Laelahaellallah) only this Allah has been mentioned.  If someone wishes to assert his being a muslim, he has to say it.
1-  The hypothesis that Allah is the chief Name of God is extremely likely.
2-  This Holy name has special advantages as compared to other Attributes as follows:
First it is proper name especially for God, for no one else can be called Allah.
It is for this reason that God in verse 65 of the Quranic Chapter, Marium, says:
*      *
“Do you know anyone equal to Him?”
*      *
96.  “Whoever says: Allah for ten times, it is said to him: Here am I , O My servant, say what you need so that it will be granted.”
  It has been related that:
*      *
97.  “Whoever says: O Lord for ten times” he will hear the same call.  And so is O Lord, O Lord, O Master.
(Ya’rab, ya’rab ya’sayyeda’h)                          *        *
It has also been related that:
*        *
98.  “Whoever says O Allah, O Lord, O Master” three times in his prostration” (YA Allah, ya rabbah, ya seyyeda) he will hear the same call.
  Samaeh has quoted Imam Kazem (AS) as saying:
*        *
99.  O Samaeh, whenever you desire something say: O God! By Mohammad and Ali who are honorable to You, fulfill my desire which is such and such, for on the Day of Judgment, there is no archangel, nor any messenger or a believing servant whose heart has been tested for his belief save he needs these two honorable persons.”
d.  Ibne Abi Amir has quoted Moavieh Ibne Ammer as saying:
*        *
100.  “Every person who after obligatory prayer says for three times: O You who will do anything You wish and none save You can do whatever he wishes, and requests something from God, his desire will be fulfilled.”
e.  It has also related that if a person wishes to repay his debt, he should recite the following on Friday or any other day:
*       *
101.  “O Allah! Make me independent of others with Your giving and lawful sustenance.”
f.  And for the increase in sustenance, he should recite the following after morning prayer:
*      *
“Glory be to Allah, and praise is due to Him.  I am seeking forgiveness from Allah, and asking for His Grace."
g.  And after night prayer he should say: 
*      *
102.  “O God! I do not know where my sustenance is to be found but I an seeking it in cities on the basis of conjectures which occur to my heart.  I wonder where my sustenance is.  Is it to be found in the pastures, mountains, the earth or the heavens?  Is it in the land or seas?  In whose hands or by whom is it to be found?  But I know that only You know both its place and its ways and means and that you divide it according to Your Grace and Mercy.
  O God! Send greetings upon Mohammad and his household and increase my sustenance, make it easy to obtain, and its place near.  And do not put me into trouble for that which is not destined for me.  Surely You are free from my torment but I am it need in need of Your Mercy.  Therefore, send greetings upon Mohammad and forgive Your servant, for You are of bounty abounding.”
h.  For keeping away fear of a tyrant and going to a tyrant ruler, one should recite the Dua which Imam Sadeq (AS) recited when he went to Mansoor:
*      *
103.  “O my asset during afflictions! O my Helper during hardships! protect me with Your eye to which sleep does not find its way, and protect me with Your pillar which does not break.”
i-  For repaying one’s debt, one should recite what is related by Maaz Ibne Jabal who said:
I failed to attend Friday prayer so the Holy Prophet (SAW) said:
*      *
104.  “O Maaz! What kept you from attending Friday prayer?”
  I said O Messenger of Allah, I owe John, the Jew about serven Mesghal (35 grams) of gold and he is keeping watch at my door.  I was afraid of being caught by him.  The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:
*     *

“Would you like God to repay your debt?”  I said: Yes O Messenger of Allah! The Holy Prophet said: recite: 
*     * 
“O Allah, Master of the kingdom! You give the kingdom to whomsoever You please and take away the kingdom from whomsoever You please, and You exalt whom you please and abase whom You please; in Your hand is the good; surely, you have power over all things.  You make the night to pass into the day and You make the day pass into the night, and You bring forth the living from the dead and You bring forth the dead from the living.  and You give sustenance to whom You please without measure, O Merciful in the world and Hereafter.  You bestow these two Mercies upon whomever You wish and withhold it from whomsoever you wish, O God send greetings upon Mohammad and his household and have my debt repaid, O Generous One.” 
Then the Holy Prophet (SAW) said:
*      *
“If your debt in gold is as much as the whole earth, God will repay it on your behalf.”
j-  For developing a flawless memory, the following Dua was taught by the Holy Prophet (SAW) to Imam Ali (AS):
*      *
105.  “O Ali! If you wish to memorize whatever you hear, recite the following after every obligatory prayer: Glory be to Him who does not treat the citizen of His kingdom unjustly and harshly, glory be to Him who does not let torment and pain come suddenly upon mankind, glory be to the Compassionate, the Merciful.  O Allah fill my heart and mind with true enlightenment, discerning intelligence, quick understanding and knowledge, verily You are able to do all these things.”
k-  For repelling neighbour’s nuisance
  A man went to Imam Hassan (AS) complaining of his neighbor’s nuisance.  The Imam said:
*       *
106.  “Perform a two-Rakat salaat after evening prayer and then say: O Mighty in prowess, O Mighty, O You whose plan is strong, O You who have abased all creatures before Your Might! Save me from the evil of such a person as You will.”
The man acted according to Imam Hassan’s order.  At midnight a wailing was heard and he was informed that his neighbor had died.

a-  Dua-us simmat
*       *
107.  “O Allah! I beseech You through the honor of this prayer (Dua) and through the honor of the names not mentioned therein, and through the interpretation of those names which no one save You knows, fulfill my desires of..
b.  Imam Baqer (AS) has been related as saying: Open the Holy Quran on the second quarter of the holy month of  Ramadhan and say:
*       *
108.  “O God! I beseech You through the Holy Quran and through what is therein and through Your Chief Name, the Great, and Your Beautiful Names and verses causing fear and hope, place me among those who are free from the Fire of Hell.”
  Then ask your desire.
c.  Reciting “Suratolghadr” (The Majesty) in the last third part of Friday night.
109.  The virtue of reciting of “Suratolghadr” in the last third part of Friday night has been mentioned in a Hadith.  Reciting any Dua after it has been recommended. 

a.  Special Dua near the grave of Imam Hussein (AS).  Imam Sadeq (AS) has been quoted as saying:
*    *
110.  “If a person has desire, he should go to top of the grave of Imam Hussein saying: O Aba Abdullah! I bear witness that you witness my status, that you hear my words, that you are alive, and enjoy special sustenance.  Therefore beseech God to fulfill my desires.
b.  Special Dua near the grave of Imam Hadi (AS) 
  It has been related that a person used to receive annuity from caliph but it had been cut by him for a few years.  This person went to Imam Hadi (AS) and told him story asking him to intercede for him with the caliph.  At night the emissary of caliph came to him to say that he had been called to the court.  When he reached the court, he said to the doorman: Has Ali Ibne Mohammad Hadi (AS) been here?  He said: No.  Finally he arrived in court and the caliph warmly received him, placed him near himself and ordered to give to him what had been withheld during those few years.  The man left the court for home.  The doorman whose name was “Fatah” said him: Tell Imam Hadi to teach me the same Dua he has taught you.
  The man then went to Imam Hadi and when the Imam saw his cheerful face said:  You look happy, it seems that you are pleased.  He said: Yes, but they say you have not gone to caliph.  He said:  
*    *
111.  “God has made us to promise that we should resort only to Him in important affairs, and request from Him alone.  I feared that if I break the promise, He will break it too.”
The man said: Fatah says: Kindly teach me the same Dua.  The Imam said:
*     *
“Fatah loves us only on the surface and not in his heart.  Dua has a requisite and that is love of we Ahlulbeit (household of the Holy Prophet).  As for Dua, I should say it is the one I recite invoking God to fulfill my desire.  I asked God to fulfill the desire of whoever comes to my grave and recite the Dua! The Dua is as follows”:
*     *
“O the asset of my old age! O my Hope and Trust! O my Heaven and Support! O the Unique One, say he , Allah is one.  O God! Through that group of creatures the like of which You have not created (Mohammad and his household) send greetings upon them and fulfill my desire of....”
Note: As Imam Hadi (AS) said: Dua is fulfilled only if there is a love of ahlulbeit.  Furthermore, it is a requisite for all the obligatory and recommended deeds to be accepted by God.  Mohammad Ibne Moslem has quoted Imam Mohammad Baqer or Imam Ja-fat Sadeq (AS) as saying:
112.  “O Aba Mohammad! The parable of we, the household of the Prophet is the parable of the household in Bani Israel.  Whenever one of them strove in the way of God for forty days and recited Dua, it was fulfilled.  Yet the Dua of one of them, after devotion of forty nights, was not fulfilled.  So he went to Prophet Jesus (AS) complaining of the situation and asked him to recite Dua for him. Having purified himself, Jesus performed prayer and then recited a Dua.  Revelation came to him saying:  O Jesus! My servant did not come through the right way.  He supplicated while there was doubt in his heart about your prophethood.  Hence his Dua was not fulfilled.  
  Jesus (AS) said to the man: Do you call on God while you have doubt about His messenger?  The man said; O spirit of God! What you say is right.  Call on God to remove this doubt from me.  Here, Jesus (AS) recited Dua for him.  God too made a favor and the man returned home while becoming a true believer.
  We, the household of the prophet are the same.  God does not accept the deeds of a servant who has doubt about us.”

a-  After salat (prayer)
  Imam Ali (AS) has quoted the Holy Prophet (SAW) as saying:
*       *
113.  “Whoever performs an obligatory prayer and recites a Dua, it will be fulfilled.”
  Ibne Faham says he had seen Imam Ali in his dream asking him about the veracity of this Hadith.  The Imam said: It is true.  Whenever you perform an obligatory prayer, perform prostration while saying:
*       *
“O God I beseech You through the person who related this Hadith (Ali) and through the person from whom it has been related (the Holy Prophet)to send greetings upon them and fulfill my desire...”
*      *
114.  “God has made prayer obligatory to you at hours which are the most favored with Him.  Therefore, request your desire after performing prayer.”
  Imam Ali (AS) has been quoted as saying:
*     *
115.  “No one of God’s servants completes his prayers unless he wishes for paradise, seeks refuge with Him from the Fire of Hell and asks Him to give him a Houri as a wife.”
  Abi Hamzeh says; I heard Aba Ja’far Imam :Mohammad Baqer saying:
*     *
116.  “When a believer rises up to perform prayer, God makes Houri to attend to him.  And if the believer rises up after prayer and does not desire Houri, those Houri will be scattered with surprise.”
  Fazl Baqbaaq has quoted Imam Sadeq (AS) as saying:
*     *
117.  “Dua will be fulfilled in four situations:  in odd prayer, after dawn, afternoon, and after evening.”
  In a Hadith, it has been related: prostrate after evening and recite a Dua.
b.  The Dua of a needy person
  When something is given to a needy person, the Dua of that needy person will be fulfilled.  If he recites Dua for himself, it will not be fulfilled.
  Imam Zeinal Abedeen (AS) used to say to his servant who had the duty to give alms to the poor:
*     *
118.  “Make a pause before the needy person so that he will recite a Dua.”
He also said:
*    *
119.  “A needy person’s Du is not rejected.”
  It has also been said that the Imam used to say to his servant to tell the needy person to recite Dua.
Imam Mohammad Baqer (AS) has been quoted as Saying:
*     *
120.  “When you give something to needy persons, ask them to recite Du, for their Du for you will be fulfilled but not for themselves.”

  Whenever Imam Zeinol Abedeen gave alms, he would kiss his own hands.  When They asked him the reason, he said:
*       *
121.  “Before alms is put in the hand of needy man, it is placed in God’s hand.”
  Imam Ali (AS) has said:
*      *
122.  “When you give alms to a needy man, the alms giver should kiss his hand, for God receives the alms before it is put in the hand of the needy man, since God is the Receiver of the alms.”
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*       *
123.  “Alms given by a believer is put in the hand of God before it is put in the needy man’s hand.”
  Then the Holy Prophet recited verse 104 of the Quranic chapter Tawbeh (Repentance):
*      *
“Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance from His servants and takes the alms and that Allah is the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful?”
  Imam Sadeq (AS) has been quoted as saying:
*       *
124.  “God says:  For every good deed I have appointed a deputy to receive it save alms which I Myself  receive immediately.  A man or a woman may give one or half date as alms but I will make it big as a colt grows into a horse and young camel grows into a camel so as to meet Me on the Day of Judgment while one or half date has become as big as Ohood Mountain.”
  Imam Sadeq (AS) has said:
*    *
125.  “Increase your sustenance through alms-giving.”
  One day Imam Sadeq said to his son “Mohammad”:
126.  My son, how much of allowance is left with you?
-Forty Dinars
-Take it out and give alms in the way of God.
-We have nothing other than this.
*      *
“Give it out in the way of God so that He will reward it to us.  Don’t you know that everything has a key and the key to sustenance is alms?  Therefore give alms.”
  The son of the Imam did so.  Ten days had hardly passed when forty thousand Dinars were sent for the Imam by someone.
The Imam also said:
*       *
127.  “Alms-giving in the way of God will help repay debts and leave blessings behind.”
  The Imam further said:
*       *
128.  “Whenever you become destitute, do business with God through alms-giving.”
  Imam Baqer (AS) has said:
*       *
129.  “Surely alms-giving repels seventy afflictions of the world including a bad death.  Surely an alms-giver never dies a bad death.”
  It is related that one day Jesus (AS) and his disciples were sitting together when a man passed by them.  Jesus (AS) said to his disciples:
130.  “This man will die soon.  After the passage of some time, they noticed that the man passed by them while he was carrying a load of wood.  The disciples asked: O spirit of God! you said he would die soon where as he is still living.  Jesus said to that man: Put down your load of wood.  He did so and opened it.  They immediately saw that a big black snake with a stone in its mouth was among the wood.  Jesus said to that man: What have you done today?  He said: O spirit of Allah, I had two loaves of bread.  I met a beggar.  I gave one of them to him (wee it not for his charity, that black snake would bite and kill the man).
  Imam Sadeq (AS) said:
*      *
131.  “Every person who gives alms, God will give a better recompense to his children after his death.”
  On verse 36 of the Quranic Chapter Hajj “...and feed the poor man who is contented and beggar...”
Imam Sadeq (AS) has been quoted as saying:
*      *
132.  “The poor man who is contented is one who asks for something and beggar is your friend.”
133.  Imam Sadeq (AS) was in Mena where a poor man came to him.  The Imam ordered a bunch of grapes to be given to him.  The poor man said:  I do not need it.  I need money.  The Imam said: My God increase your sustenance?  That man went on his way empty-handed.  Then another poor man came along and the Imam gave him three single grapes.  The poor man took those three single grapes saying:
*    *
  “praise is due to the Lord of the worlds”  who gave my sustenance.  The Imam who saw this scene said to him:  Wait.  The Imam said to his servant: how many Dirhams are on you?  He said: About twenty Dirhams.  The Imam said: Give all Dirhams to him.  The poor man took all Dirhams and said: praise is due to Allah the Lord of the worlds.  O God! This bounty comes from you.  You are One and have no partner.  The Imam further said: Wait.
  Then he took off the shirt he was wearing and said: Put it on.  That man put on the shirt and said; Praise is due to Allah, that gave a shirt and made me happy.  O servant of God! May God reward you.  With these words he said good bye and went away.
  The narrator says: we were saying to ourselves: Had he not said good bye, the Imam would have kept on giving away, for every time the poor man said praise is due to Allah, the Imam would give him something.
Imam Sadeq (AS) said:
*       *
134.  “If a person gives alms and receives his reward, he should not ever make a business with it or spend it, for the charity belongs to God and no one should share it with God, for this wealth is like a slave who has been set free and enslaving him again is not lawful.”
  About a person who intended to give alms but the poor man had gone away, it is related by Imam Sadeq (AS)
*       *
135.  “He should give it away and not return it to his own wealth.”  

  Charity is classified into five categories:
1- Charity on wealth which was discussed.
2-  Charity on position is when a man of position intercedes for saving believers.
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*     *
136.  “The best charity is the charity of tongue.  It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what is the charity of tongue?  The Holy Prophet said: It is intercession through which you can set a captive free, prevent bloodshed, help your believing brother, and expel evil from him.”
  If you treat believing brother fairly with regard to wealth and honor, these two will be safeguarded.
3-  Charity on wisdom is counsellorship.  In this relation, the holy Prophet said:
*      *
137.  “Show the right way to your believing brother with your knowledge and protect him with your advice, for both are charity.”
4-  The charity on tongue is when one can put out the fire of differences and make peace among them.  in verse 114 of the Quranic Chapter, the women (Nessa), God says:
*     *
“There is no good in most of their secret counsels except (in his) who enjoins charity or goodness or reconciliation between people.....”
5-  The charity on knowledge is through is dissemination among those who are entitle to it.  In this relation, the Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*     *
138.  “One kind of charity is that one should learn and then teach to people what he has learnt.”
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) also said:
*     *
139.  “The charity on knowledge is to teach it to one who does not know it.”
  It has been reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):
*     *
140.  “Every thing is subject to charity and the harity on knowledge is to one who is entitled to it.”

The author of the book “Montahiolyawaqit” has polyquoted Imam Reza, Imam Ali (A.S.) and the Holy Prophet (SAW) as saying:
*     *
141.  “Pursuit of knowledge is an obligation on every muslem, man or woman.”
*     *
  “Therefore seek knowledge from its source and learn it from those entitled to it.”
*     *
  “Learning for the sake of God is good and rewarding and seeking knowledge is as worship of God, debate on scientific issues is as the glorification of God and acting to it is as Jihad.”
*     *
  “Teaching knowledge to those who lack it, is a kind of charity and giving to those entitled to it, leads to nearness to God.”
*     *
  “Since lawful and unlawful can be distinguished through knowledge, it enlightens the path to paradise, a help at the time of fear and a companion in loneliness, a company in private, a guide in happiness and sorrows, a weapon against enemy and an ornament on friends.”
*     *
  “God makes some nations superior through knowledge and promotes them to the extent that He makes them leader so that others will follow them, set their deeds as examples for them, and seek their advice.”
*     *
  “Angels wish to make friends with them, rub their wings on them and send greetings to them in their prayer.”
*     *
  “All creatures on the earth and in the seas seek forgiveness for them, even fishes, beasts and quadrapeds.”
*     *
  “Knowledge enlivens hearts from the death of ignorance, it is the light of eyes in darkness and strengthens bodies against weakness.”
*      *
  “Knowledge makes man to be ranked among the best in the assembly of the righteous and promotes his rank in the world and the Hereafter.”
*     *
  “Occupying one’s thought with knowledge is as keeping fast, and discussion of knowledge is as keeping vigil in prayer.”
  “Ties among kinfolk and distinction of God’s lawful and unlawful through knowledge is servitude to God.”
*     *
  “Knowledge is as a leader and practice is its subject.”
*     *
  “God inspire knowledge to the fortunate and deprives the wretched from it.”
*      *
“Therefore happy is the person whom God has not deprived from the blessing of knowledge.”

Warning: Coordination Between Knowledge and practice.
  Dear reader! May God bless you.  Think of the saying of the Holy Prophet that “Action is subject to knowledge” and that these two go together and that none of them has any benefit without the other.  Therefore a scholar has to act according to what he knows.  He should know that knowledge by itself can not lead to success.  The same idea is expressed in the saying of the Holy Prophet (SAW):
*      *
142.  “One whose knowledge increases but his conduct is not improved, does not gain any benefit from it other than keeping away from God.”
  Practice without knowledge does not have any benefit as acknowledge by the Holy Prophet (SAW):
*      *
143.  “One who acts without discernment, is as one who chooses a by-way instead of the main path.  The greater pace he takes the farther he will be from the main path.”
  Therefore knowledge and practice go together.  None of them can stand on its foot without the other.  Every book written and every speech made revolve round the axis of these two precious elements.  Heavenly books as well as prophets were sent for the same purpose.  Even heavens and the earth as well as the Verse 12 of the Quranic Chapter, Talaq, reads:
*       *
“Allah is He who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them; the decree continues to descend among them, that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah indeed encompasses all things in (His) knowledge.”
  This single verse is sufficient to prove the importance of knowledge of monotheism.  Verse 56 of the Quranic Chapter, Zariat reads:
*       *
“And I have not created the Jiin and the men except that they should serve Me.”
  This verse too is sufficient to prove the importance of prayer and devotion.  Therefore man should engage in nothing other than these two, labor for nothing other than them and be attached to nothing else.  Everything is futile except them.
  Now let it be known to you that between these two gems, “the gem of knowledge” is superior to “the gem of prayer” for the Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*       *
144.  “The virtue of knowledge to God is higher than the virtue of prayer.”
*       *
145.  “The superior of a scholar to a pious man is as the superior of moonlight to stars in a full-mooned night.”
*       *
146.  “O Ali, the sleep of a scholar (learned man) is better than the prayer of pious man.  O Ali! Two rak’at prayer performed by a learned man is better than seventy-rak’at prayer performed by a pious man.”
*       *
147.  “O Ali! When a learned man leans on his bedclothes pondering over his knowledge, it is better than seventy years of prayer.”
  Visiting the face of a learned man or the doorway of his house is the same as prayer.
  It has been reported on the authority of Imam Ali (AS):
*       *
148.  “Spending one hour with the learned men to God is better than one thousand years of prayer.  Visiting a learned man to God is better than seventy circumambulations of Ka’ba and better than seventy accepted majjor and minor Hajj.  God promotes the learned man as much as seventy degrees and sends down Mercy upon him while angels testify that paradise is his due.”
  Neverthless, a learned man should not ever be content with his knowledge nor should he ever fail to worship God, for in that case, his knowledge will go into waste since knowledge is as a tree and prayer as its fruit.  The value of a tree lies in its fruit or it is good for firewood to be burnt.  Therefore a believing man must have both of them.  Nevertheless, knowledge is superior, for it is both the basis of action and as the Quranic verse said, knowledge leads practice (deed) and practice is subject to knowledge.  This leading role of knowledge puts two duties on your shoulder.
  Firstly- You have to recognize God and the One whom you worship, for one can not worship an unknown God and obey Him.  Logical reasons support this principle.
  Secondly-You have to know what your duty is towards God and obey how you have to obey and worship Him so that you will not do as an act of obedience what He does not like. 
  A learned man was asked which was better: knowledge or practice?  He said: knowledge is better for an ignorant person and practice for learned man.  In addition, you know that knowledge without practice will not only not have any benefit in the Day of Judgment but it will be a source of trouble for the learned man.
  Have you not heard the Holy Prophet of Islam saying:
*      *
149.  “The inhabitants of Hell are annoyed by the bad smell of a learned man who did not practice what he had learnt.  The utmost regret among the inhabitants of Hell belong to a person who invited someone to the way of God and that person accepted it and God made him enter paradise but he himself entered the Hell since he abandoned what he had learnt and followed his carnal desire.”
  Saeed Ibne Hesham has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS) as saying about verse 94 of the Quranic Chapter, the Shuara:
*      *
“So they shall be thrown down into it, they and the erring ones”
*      *
150.  “The erring ones are those who recognized the truth but acted against it.”
  The Imam has also said:
*      *
151.  “The most severe punishment is for a learned man who does not benefit from his knowledge.”
*      *
152.  “Learn whatever you wish but God will give you reward for your deeds not for your knowledge, for the learned men endeavor to utilize what they have learnt but the unwise attempt to collect words and quote them.”
  In relation to the virtue of knowledge and learned men, there are many verses and Hadith including verse 18 of the Quranic Chapter, Alay Imran:
*      *
“Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge.”
  And verse 9 of the Quranic chapter, Zumar:
*      *
“Are those who know and those who do not know alike.”
  Imam Sadeq (AS) Says:
*     *
153.  “When the Day of Judgment comes, all people are gathered in a land; scales are put for measuring their deeds.  Then they will measure the blood of martyrs with the pen of the learned men.  In this measuring, the ink of the learned men’s pen is heavier than the martyr’s blood.”
  In his interpretation of the aforementioned Hadith, a scholar says: The secret behind that superiority is that the martyr’s blood does not benefit others after his death but the ink of the learned man’s pen will benefit others after his death.
  Imam Sadeq (AS) has also said:
*      *
154.  “If a believer leaves behind a sheet of paper on which some knowledge is written, this very sheet of paper will serve as a wall between him and the Hell and against each letter written on it, God will give him a city in paradise seven times this world.”
  One must note that by knowledge we do not mean scientific issues either kept in mind or debated, rather we mean a kind of knowledge which increases man’s fear of God and creates joy in the deeds which will give us benefit in the Hereafter and will increase piety.
  Imam Moosa (AS) has said:
*       *
155.  “The best knowledge (science) which you should seek is the one without which your deed will become corrupt and the most worthy knowledge is the one about whose practice you will be questioned on the Day of Judgment.  The most required knowledge is the one which shows you what is good or bad for you.  The best knowledge is one which will increase your good deeds.  Therefore, do not ever spend your life on learning something which, if you don’t know, is not important.  Do not ever remain unaware of the knowledge the abandonment of which will increase your ignorance.” 
  If we look at the Holy Quran we will see that this character-building book describes the learned men as such in verse 28 of the Quranic Chapter, Fater:
*      *
“Those of His servants only who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah....”
  In this verse, God describes learned men as those who fear Allah.  Therefore one who does not fear Allah is not learned.  Verse 9 of the Quranic Chapter, Zomar, says:
*      *
“What ! he who is obedient during hours of the night, prostrating himself and standing, takes care of the hereafter and those who do not know alike?”
  In this verse, learned men have been described with:
-Keeping vigil in prayer
-Performing recommended prayer after mid-night
-Prostrating and bowing
-Having fear and hope
  Verse 83 of the Quranic Chapter, the Foods (Maidah) reads:
*      *
“....this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly.”
  Imam Sadeq (AS) has said:
*      *
156.  “Fear of God is the heritage of knowledge and knowledge is the light of wisdom and the spirit of faith.  One who does not fear God, is not learned even if he splits an atom, for God has said: “Those of His servants only who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah....”
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) says:
*      *
157.  “Do not ever sit with any one who calls you to his meeting, for he might change your faith into doubt, your devotion into hypocrisy, take away humility from you and make you proud, remove advisability and benevolence, sow the seeds of enmity in your heart, and finally change your piety into worldly love, rather go to a learned man who wishes to change your arrogance into humility, your hypocrisy into devotion, your doubt into faith and your worldly love to piety, and enmity into benevolence and advisability.”
  Jesus (AS) has said:
*      *
158.  “The most wretched person is one who is known for his knowledge and unknown for his deed.”
  Jesus has also said:
*       *
159.  “I visited a tablet with the inscription: Turn me over.  When I turned it over, there was another inscription: One who does not practice what he has learnt, his knowledge will be to his loss and all he knows will be used against him.”
  God sent the following revelation to prophet David (AS)
*       *
160.  “If a learned man does not practice his knowledge, I will afflict him with seventy inner punishments and torments the minimum of which is that I will take My sweet remembrance from his heart.”
  It has been reported on the authority of the Holy Prophet (SAW):
*        *
161.  “A knowledge not put into practice is as a treasure not used, that is his possessor has put himself into trouble in gathering it but he has not gained any benefit from it.”
  It has been reported on the authority of Imam Ali (AS):
*       *
162.  “Knowledge is accompanied with practice, anyone who has knowledge puts it into practice, and anyone who practices has knowledge.  Knowledge invites its possessor to action with a loud voice.  If he accepts this call, his knowledge will survive but if he rejects this call, his knowledge will depart.”
  In the interpretation of the Quranic verse
*        *
“Those of His servants only who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah....”, Imam Sadeq (AS) says:
*       *
163.  “A learned man is one whose deeds confirm his speech and one whose speech is not confirmed by his deeds is not a learned man.”
  It has been reported on the authority of the Holy prophet (SAW) that:
*      *
164.  “God sent the following revelation to one of the prophets: Tell those who utilize knowledge in a way other than religion, and those who learn not for practice but seek the world instead of the Hereafter, are wolves in sheep’s clothing, their tongue is sweeter than honey and their deeds are more bitter than Sabr (a bitter plant): Are you playing trick with Me or mocking Me?  I will afflict you with a calamity the learned men will be surprised at.”
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) has also said:
*      *
165.  “One who has knowledge but does not put his knowledge into practice, is as a touch giving light to others but exposing himself to fire.”

So far a learned man’s duties towards God were discussed.  Now a learned man’s duties towards his teacher are discussed.  Abdullah Ibne Hussain quotes his grandfather (AS) as saying:
*      *
166.  “Some of the teacher’s rights against his disciple are as follows:
-The disciple should not ask his teacher too many questions.
-When someone asks his teacher a question, he (disciple) should not answer it before the teacher.
-When the teacher rejects something, he should not insist.
-When the teacher is not in a good mood, he should not appeal to him for help.
-He should not indicate his teacher with finger.
-He should not look at his teacher from the corner of his eyes.
-He should not speak or consult with others in the presence of his teacher.
-He should not say to his teacher: Someone has said the opposite of what you say.
-He should not disclose his teacher’s secret.
-He should not backbite in his teacher’s presence.
-He should support his teacher both in his presence or absence.
-He should warmly greet his teacher.
-He should sit politely in front of his teacher.
-He should take lead in meeting the requirements of his teacher.
-He should not be annoyed by his teacher’s long lecture, for teacher is as a palm tree and one should
  wait for it to give its fruit.
-The learned man is as one who keeps fast, keeps vigil in prayer and fights in the way of God. When a learned man passes away, a gap will be created in Islam which will not be filled until the Day of judgment. The seeker of knowledge will be accompanied by seventy thousand angels.”
  Ibne Abbas has been quoted as saying: “Tolerate the humility of seeking knowledge so that you will become honorable later and others will respect you.”
  A sage has said: “One who does not tolerate apprenticeship during childhood, will remain in his ignorance for ever.”  The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*      *
167.  “Flattery is not the quality of a believer save in seeking knowledge.”

Kinds of knowledge (Science)
  Imam Sadeq (AS) has said:
*         *
168.  “I found out all human knowledge having four qualities:
First-Knowing God.
Second-Knowing what He has done with you.
Third-Knowing what He expects you.
Fourth-Knowing what keeps you away from your religion.
  Imam Sadeq (AS) has also said:
*       *
169.  “God did not send any messenger save taking from him three pledges: Confession to obedience, renouncing polytheism, and admitting that everything is in the Hand of God, thus He will perish or preserve whatever He wills.”

  Having comprehended the value of “knowledge and pratice”, we should know that there is no benefit in any other than these two precious gems, for the rest are either necessities of life or something extra.  We have to discuss these two in order to make them clear.

First-Necessities of life
  Seeking necessities of life is not a sin rather it is considered as a prayer, the Holy Prophet of Islam has said:
*       *
170.  “One who labors for the livelihood of his family is as a fighter in the way of God.”
  Imam Ali (AS) has said:
*       *
171.  “Do deal-May God give you blessings-for I have head from the Holy Prophet (SAW) as saying: sustenance has ten parts, nine of it is deal and one part is in other things.”
*       *
172.  “The biggest sin of a man is to let his family’s right go to waste.”
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*        *
173.  “Accursed is one who lets his family’s rights go to waste.”
  One should note that certain rules must be observed:
  First, one should go after Halal (lawful) and shun Haram (unlawful) and doubtful business, for engaging in a business which is neither Halal nor Haram will make man to engage in Haram.
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*        *
174.  “One who does not care how he earns his livelihood, God does not care from which way he will be thrown into Hell either.”
  Secondly, one should be content with what he earns.  For instance, if he can work all day long for one Dinar, but he knows that his expense is one third of Dinar, he should work a third of the day and spent the rest in prayer.  Saving expenses for a year is permissible but more than that is not good. 
  Sheikh Sadooq has reported on the authority of the Holy Prophet (SAW):
*         *
175.  “One who is in good health, is secure and has the expenses of a day and night, has the whole world with him: O son of Ja-sham, the expenses necessary are first: the food which removes your hunger, and secondly the clothes which cover your body.  If you possess a house it is good and if a riding vehicle is added to them, that would be excellent.  But if they are not available, a simple food is sufficient, for if it is more than that, you are either answerable for it or exposed to punishment.”
  Thirdly, he should renounce avarice which is blameworthy, for it leads to the commitment of erroneous deeds and sometimes unlawful ones.  One must know that the subsistence of God’s servant has been divided.  Hence neither avarice increases it nor contentment decreases it.
  It has been reported on the authority of the Infallibles (AS):
*        *
176.  “Useless effort and avarice will not increase lawful sustenance and God’s grant.”
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) in the farewell Hajj said:
*        *
177.  “O people! I informed you about what brings you to paradise and keeps you away from Hell, and encouraged you about those deeds.  I also bewared you of what brings you to Hell and keeps you away from paradise.  Know that Gabriel inspired into my heart that: No one dies but he has fully received his sustenance.  Therefore avoid being worldly.  Do not ever seek your sustenance through unlawful way if it is delayed.  Surely God has divided lawful and not unlawful sustenance among people.  One Who has forbearance and observes piety, will receive lawful sustenance.  And one who is impudent, hasty and earns his livelihood in an unlawful way, will have sustenance decreased to the same extent and he will be questioned too on the Day of Judgment.
  One day the Holy Prophet (SAW) said to one of his companions:
*       *
178.  “How do you feel if you live long enough to see a nation who saves the expenses of one year but their belief in God and Ressurrection is weak?  Do not ever grief in the morning for night nor grief in night for the morning when you don’t know whether you will be alive or dead tomorrow?”
So far we have discussed livelihood.  As for expenses, we should say that you have to observe moderation as well as economization in relation to what you earn.  DO not ever be extravagant, for God in verse 27 of the Quranic chapter, the Israelites (Bani Israel), says:
*        *
“Surely the squanderers are the fellows of the shaitans.”
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) says:
*        *
179.  “One who is extravagant will be made destitute by God.”
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) also says:
*       *
180.  “One who is moderate will never become destitute.”
  One has the following duties against one’s dependents:
1-  Against oneself
  One must avoid overeating, for the Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*      *
181.  “For the children of Adam, a few morsels which can keep him alive are sufficient.  So when he needs food, let him devote one third of his stomach to food, one third to drinks and the last third to breathing.”
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
*       *
182.  “In the Day of Judgment only those people starve who are the most gluttonous in this world.”
  Gluttony has the following pests:
-It will cause hard-heartedness.
-It keeps body from worship.
-It keeps man from keeping vigil in prayer.
-It keeps man from recommended prayer after midnight.
  Those who are gluttonous are found in dirty places but those with a light stomach are found in mosques.

2-  Against family
  One must observe moderation and not be strict to them, rather he should be lenient to them and whenever he gives a promise, he has to keep it to make his family happy. 
  It has been reported on the authority of Imam Moosa (AS):
*    *
183.  “Whenever you give a promise to children, keep it, for they think you are the giver of sustenance and God does not become so wrathful against men as he does because of unfair treatment of women and children.”  
  A praiseworthy tradition is that man should buy fruits for his family especially on Friday about which Imam Ali (AS) has said:
*     *  
184.  “Come home to your family members with fruits every Friday night so that they will become happy about Friday.”  
3-  Against parents
  Respecting parents especially mothers is recommended.  In this relation Imam Sadeq (AS) has said:
*     *  
185.  “The best deeds are: Prayer in its proper time, respecting one’s parents and fighting in the way of God.”  
  A Hadith says:  
*     *  
186.  “When prophet Moses (AS) was invoking God, he saw a man praying under the Throne of God.  Moses (AS) envied him saying: O God! How have you promoted this man to such position?  God said: This man had two virtues, first he did good to his parents and secondly he was not a talebearer.”  
  A man came to the Holy Prophet (SAW) saying: Is there any way for me to repent, the Holy Prophet said:  
*     *  
187.  “Is one of your parents still living?”  
  He said: Yes, my father.  
  The Holy Prophet said:     *      *
“Go and do good to him.”  
  When the man returned, the Holy Prophet said:    *       *
"Had he a mother, it would be better.”  
   The Holy Prophet has also said:  
*     *  
188.  “One who wishes to have a long life and have his sustenance increased, must do good to his parents, for taking care of them is considered as a prayer.”  
  A man said to Imam Sadeq (AS): I have an old father whom I carry whenever he wants to relieve himself.  The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:  
*     *  
189.  “Keep on doing it, for this deed of yours will serve as a shield against fire of Hell.”  
  Imam Sadeq (AS) also said:  
*     *  
190.  “What keeps you from doing good to your living or dead parents?  Perform prayer, keep fast, and give charity on their behalf, for it will benefit both you and them.  God too will reward you for your good deeds.”  

  Now that we have come to this topic, it would be proper to discuss some of the children-parents duties against each other as well as the quality of their relations.  
  A child should never call his parents by their first names.  He should not walk ahead of them or sit before they do.  A person went to the Holy Prophet (SAW) and said: What is the right of my child? The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:  
*     *  
191.  “Choose a good name for him.  Teach him good manners, and prepare him for a bright future.”  
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:
*     *  
192.  “A good child is a source of happiness for man.”  
  The Holy Prophet (SAW) also said:
*      *  
193.  “A child for his father is as a flower sent by God, with good smell.  Surely Hassan and Hussein are my flower whom I have named after two tribes of Bani Israel, Shabr and Shubair.”  
  Fazl Ibne abi Qareh ha reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS) : 
*      *  
194.  “The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said: Once Jesus (AS) passed by the grave of a man who was in torment.  The following year when Jesus passed by the same grave, he noticed that the torment had been removed.  He said: O Lord! last year when I was passing by the grave of this man, he was in torment but he is not now! God said: A good child has been left of him who guides people and gives refuge to orphans.  For this reason, I have forgiven him his sins.”  
  Then the Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “The heritage a believing man leaves for God is a child who worships God after him.”  
  Imam Sadeq (AS) quoting Prophet Zakaria in verses 4-6 of the Quranic Chapter, Mary says:  
*     *  
“.....Therefore grant me from thyself an heir, who should inherit me and inherit from the children of Yaqoub, and make him, my Lord, one in whom thou art well pleased.”  
  It has been reported on the authority of Holy Prophet (SAW)  
*     *  
195.  “Whoever has four sons but does not name one of them after me has treated me unkindly.”  
  Suleiman Ja-afari says: I heard Imam Kazem (AS) saying:
*     *  
196.  “Destitution never enters a house in which there are the names of Mohammad, Ahmad, Ali, Hassan, Hussein, Taleb, Abdullah, or Fatima (among women). 
*     *  
197.  “Whenever Satan hears someone calling Mohammad or Ali, he will be melted as lead.”  
  Imam Reza (AS) says:  
*     *  
198.  “Whenever a son is born into our family, we name him “Mohammad” for a week.  After that, we can change the name or keep it.”  
  Imam Reza (AS) has also said:  
*      *
199.  “Choose good names for your children, for on the Day of Judgment, you will be called with the same names, saying: O such and such person rise up to your light! O such and such person, rise up! You have no light.”  
  Mohammad Ibne Yaghoob reports on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):  
*      *  
200.