Al-It'am Verse: Difference between revisions

'''Āyat al-Iṭ'ām''' (Arabic: آیة الإطعام) is verse number 8 of [[Sura al-Insan]] (76) of the [[Quran]] which was revealed with respect to [[Amir al-Mu'minin (a)]] and his family. According to some [[hadiths]] and the views of Shiite and some Sunni exegetes of the Quran, [[Imam 'Ali (a)]], [[Fatima al-Zahra (a)]], [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]], [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] and their servant, [[Fidda]], [[fast|fasted]] for three consecutive days, and in all the three days at the time of [[iftar]] (breaking the fast), they gave their food to a poor person, an orphan, and a prisoner, while they stayed hungry themselves.

Some Sunni exegetes of the Quran have confirmed that al-It'am Verse was revealed with respect to [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]. In his book, ''[[al-Ghadir]]'', [['Allama Amini]] has mentioned 34 Sunni scholars who appealed to [[mutawatir]] hadiths to the effect that the verse was revealed with respect to Ahl al-Bayt (a) and points to a significant virtue of Imam 'Ali (a), Fatima (a), Imam al-Hasan (a), and Imam al-Husayn (a). According to Shiite scholars, 18 verses of Sura al-Insan (or the whole [[sura]]) were revealed with respect to Ahl al-Bayt (a).

: [[Ibn 'Abbas]] is quoted as saying that Hasan and Husayn (a) were sick. The Prophet (s) went to visit them together with some of his companions. They told 'Ali: “O Abu l-Hasan! You had better [[nadhr|vow]] for the health of your sons”. 'Ali, Fatima, and Fidda vowed to fast for three consecutive days if the boys were healed. When they were healed, 'Ali borrowed three “mans” [equal to 18 kilograms] of barley. Fatima ground, and baked bread with, one third of the barley. At the time of iftar, a beggar went to their house and said: “O the household of Muhammad, I am a poor Muslim person; please give me a food. May God give you heavenly foods.” They preferred him to themselves and gave the bread to him, breaking their fast with water. They fasted the next day. When they brought the bread at night, an orphan went to their house. They gave their food to him again. On the third day, a [newly released] prisoner went to their house. Again, they gave their barley food to him. In the morning, 'Ali took the hands of Hasan and Husayn and they went to the Prophet (s). When he saw them, he found that they were shivering from hunger. He said: “I am saddened by seeing you in this condition”. He went to their house together with them, and saw Fatima while worshipping with her stomach diminished and her eyes hollowed. He was saddened by seeing her. Then [[Jibril]] went down to the Prophet (s) and said: “God congratulates you for having such a household”. He then recited the above verse.

Some exegetes of the Quran take the story to have occurred in one day, rather than 3 days. They said that the verse was revealed with respect to 'Ali (a). He did something for a Jew and received some barley as a wage. He took the barley to his house. They ground one third of it and made food with it. When they wanted to have the meal, a poor person went to their house, and 'Ali gave him the food. They then ground another third of the barley and made food with it. When the food was made, an orphan went to their house, and they gave it to him. When they made the last remaining part of the barley, a polytheist prisoner went to them, and they gave the food to him too.