قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) رَجُلٌ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ صَلَاةِ النَّوَافِلِ مَا لَا يَدْرِي مَا هُوَ مِنْ كَثْرَتِهِ كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ قَالَ فَلْيُصَلِّ حَتَّى لَا يَدْرِيَ كَمْ صَلَّى مِنْ كَثْرَتِهِ فَيَكُونَ قَدْ قَضَى بِقَدْرِ عِلْمِهِ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى الْقَضَاءِ مِنْ كَثْرَةِ شُغُلِهِ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ شُغُلُهُ فِي طَلَبِ مَعِيشَةٍ لَا بُدَّ مِنْهَا أَوْ حَاجَةٍ لِأَخٍ مُؤْمِنٍ فَلَا شَيْءَ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ شُغُلُهُ لِدُنْيَا تَشَاغَلَ بِهَا عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فَعَلَيْهِ الْقَضَاءُ وَ إِلَّا لَقِيَ اللَّهَ مُسْتَخِفّاً مُتَهَاوِناً مُضَيِّعاً لِسُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى الْقَضَاءِ فَهَلْ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ فَسَكَتَ مَلِيّاً ثُمَّ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَلْيَتَصَدَّقْ بِصَدَقَةٍ قُلْتُ وَ مَا يَتَصَدَّقُ فَقَالَ بِقَدْرِ طَوْلِهِ وَ أَدْنَى ذَلِكَ مُدٌّ لِكُلِّ مِسْكِينٍ مَكَانَ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ قُلْتُ وَ كَمِ الصَّلَاةُ الَّتِي تَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ فِيهَا مُدٌّ لِكُلِّ مِسْكِينٍ فَقَالَ لِكُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ وَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ صَلَاةِ النَّهَارِ فَقُلْتُ لَا يَقْدِرُ فَقَالَ مُدٌّ لِكُلِّ أَرْبَعِ رَكَعَاتٍ فَقُلْتُ لَا يَقْدِرُ فَقَالَ مُدٌّ لِكُلِّ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ وَ مُدٌّ لِصَلَاةِ النَّهَارِ وَ الصَّلَاةُ أَفْضَلُ وَ الصَّلَاةُ أَفْضَلُ .
Translation
Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Amro Bin Usman, from Ali Bin Abdullah, from Abdullah Bin Sinan who said, ‘I said to Abu Abdullah<sup>asws</sup>, ‘There is a man upon whom are (outstanding) optional <span class="iTxt">Salāts</span> what he does not even know how many they are due to their abundance. How should he deal with these?’ He<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘So let him pray until he does not know how many he has prayed, due to its abundance, so he would have fulfilled by a measure of his knowledge’. I said, ‘Supposing he is not able upon the fulfilment due to many pre-occupations?’ So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘If it was so that his pre-occupation was regarding seeking of the livelihood, it being a must from it, or (fulfilling) a need of a Believing brother, so there is nothing upon him; and if it was so that his pre-occupation was for the world, being too pre-occupied with it from the <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span>, so upon him is the fulfilment, or else he would meet Allah<sup>azwj</sup> as fearful, negligent, wasteful of a Sunnah of Rasool-Allah<sup>saww</sup>’. I said, ‘Supposing he is not able upon the fulfilment, so would it be correct for him if he were to give charity (instead)?’ So he<sup>asws</sup> was silent for a while, then said: ‘Yes, so let him give in charity’. I said, ‘And what should he give in charity’. So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘In accordance with his capacity, and the least of that is a <span class="iTxt">Mudd</span> to each poor one in place of each <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span>’. I said, ‘And how many <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span> does it Obligate upon him with regards to it, a <span class="iTxt">Mudd</span> for every poor on?’ So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘For every two <span class="iTxt">Rak’at</span> from a <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span> of the night, and every two <span class="iTxt">Rak’at</span> from a <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span> of the daytime’. So I said, ‘He is not able’. So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘A <span class="iTxt">Mudd</span> for every four <span class="iTxt">Rak’at</span>’. So I said, ‘He is not able’. So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘A <span class="iTxt">Mudd</span> for every night <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span>, and a <span class="iTxt">Mudd</span> for every daytime <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span>, and the (performing of the) <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span> is superior, and the (performing of the) <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span> is superior’.
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.