لَإِطْعَامُ مُؤْمِنٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ عِتْقِ عَشْرِ رِقَابٍ وَ عَشْرِ حِجَجٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ عَشْرِ رِقَابٍ وَ عَشْرِ حِجَجٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ يَا نَصْرُ إِنْ لَمْ تُطْعِمُوهُ مَاتَ أَوْ تَدُلُّونَهُ فَيَجِيءُ إِلَى نَاصِبٍ فَيَسْأَلُهُ وَ الْمَوْتُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ مَسْأَلَةِ نَاصِبٍ يَا نَصْرُ مَنْ أَحْيَا مُؤْمِناً فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً فَإِنْ لَمْ تُطْعِمُوهُ فَقَدْ أَمَتُّمُوهُ وَ إِنْ أَطْعَمْتُمُوهُ فَقَدْ أَحْيَيْتُمُوهُ .
Translation
Salih Bin Uqba, from Nasr Bin Qabous, (It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah<sup>asws</sup> having said: ‘The feeding of a <span class="iTxt">Momin</span> is more beloved to me<sup class="bTxt">asws</sup> than freeing ten necks and performing ten Hajj’. I said, ‘Ten necks and ten Hajj?’ So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘O Nasr! If you do not feed him, he would either die, or you would have indicated him (to go elsewhere), so he would go to a Hostile one (<span class="iTxt">Nasibi</span>) and ask him; and the death would be better for him than asking a Hostile one (<span class="iTxt">Nasibi</span>). O Nasr! The one who revives a <span class="iTxt">Momin</span>, so it is as if he has revived the people altogether. So if you do not feed him, so you have caused him to died, and if you do feed him, so you have revived him’.
Compiled by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni
Source
License: Free for educational and research use (Thaqalayn Data API)
Provided for research and educational purposes. Original source: Thaqalayn Project. Open License.