When Fast is Prohibited

There are certain occasions when fast becomes unlawful; these are:

1) Fasting the first day of the month of Shawwal (Eidul-Fitr).

2) Fasting the tenth day of the month of Thul-Hijah (Fidul-Adha).

3) Fasting the eleventh and twelfth of Thul-Hijjh by anyone, pilgrim or non-pilgrim, who is then present at Mina.

4) Fast which is not required, such as that of the sick, the woman during her menstrual or post-natal (after having delivered) period, or fasting for a transgression committed (such as fasting to thank Allah for having been able to kill another Muslim), and the fast of one on a journey except if such person seeks the fulfillment of a dear and lawful worldly wish and goes to visit the Prophet’s shrine in Medina.

5) Fasting with the intention to prolong his fast till beyond sunset.

6) Fast of silence with the intention of hoping to seek nearness to Allah. Such fast was granted to a few holy men and women after the latter sought and obtained pennission from the Almighty such as the case of Zakariyya (as) and Maryam mother of Jesus (as).

7) The fast of doubt: if one is not sure whether the day he is fasting is part of the month of Sha’ban or that of the month of Ramadhan.

8) The fast of a wife who deliberately goes against her husband’s wish not to fast.

Some Muslims, particularly Shi ‘as, may disagree with some of these eight items depending on who they follow as their marji’ taqlid. When in doubt, ask your marji’ or his representative, and Allah knows best.

It is the Month of the Holy Qur’an

The month of Ramadhan is sacred because it is the month when the Holy Qur’an was revealed, and because it is the month containing Lailatul-Qadr. It is, therefore, appropriate to know a little about this Book, the greatest of all divine revelations, the best revelation the descendants of Adam (as) have ever received from their Lord.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted on p. 261, Vol. 2, of al-Zamakhshari’s Rabee’ al-Abrar as saying, "Allah Almighty read Surats Ta-Ha and Ya-Sin a thousand years before creating Adam, and when the angels heard it, they said, ‘Congratulations to those to whom such speech is revealed, and congratulations to the hearts that memorize it, and congratulations to the tongues that articulate it."’ In the same reference, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted saying, ‘The hearts rust just as iron rusts.’ He (pbuh) was asked, "0 Messenger of Allah! What removes their rust?’ He (pbuh) said, "The recitation of the Qur’an and the remembrance of death." In one Qudsi hadith, the Almighty has said, "I shall give one who is too preoccupied with his recitation of the Qur’an to plead to Me the very best of what I give those who are grateful to Me."

Imam Ali (as) has said, "One who recites the Qur’an while standing during the prayers will receive a hundred good deeds for each verse he recites; if he recites it sitting during his prayers, he will receive fifty good deeds for each verse, and whoever recites it after having made his wudu will receive twenty-five good deeds for each verse, and one who recites it without wudu will receive ten good deeds for each verse he recites." One day, as al-Zamakhshari tells us on p. 264, Vol. 2, of his Rabee’ al-A brar, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was late in going back home. "What kept you so long from coming home" Ayesha asked him. He (pbuh) said, "It is the recitation of a man whose voice is better (when reciting the Holy Qur’an) than anyone else I have heard."

Then he (pbuh) stood and listened to him for a good while then said, "He is Salim, a slave of Abu I-Iuthayfah. Praise to Allah for the presence of people like him in my nation." During the month of Ramadhan, Sufyan al-Thawri used to devote his time to the recitation of the Holy Qur’an, and Malik ibn Anas used to stop studying and researching had hA, abandon the company of scholars, and concentrate on reciting the Holy Qur’an instead, as we are told on pp. 257-258 of Vol. 2 of al-Zamakhshari’s Rabi’ al-Abrar. In one of his sermons, Imam All (as) said the following about the Holy Qur’an:

Besides the Holy Qur’an, nobody should complain of needing anything else. One who is deprived of it cannot be described as having anything at all; so, seek in it the healing of your ailments, and solicit its assistance when you encounter a hardship, for it contains a cure for the worst of ailments: disbelief, hypocrisy, and misguidance. Plead to Allah through it instead of pleading to any of His creation. Nobody can seek Allah through anything better than it, and be admonished that it is an intercessor that will intercede on your behalf, and a speaker that speaks the truth. For whomsoever the Holy Qur’an intercedes on the Day of Judgment, he will surely achieve intercession, and whoever seeks it to testify to his truthfulness will surely be regarded as a man of truth, for someone shall call on the Day of Judgment: Everyone who cultivates is tried by what he cultivates except those who cultivate the Qur’an;" so be among those who cultivate and follow it, and make it the means to reach your Lord. Seek its advice regarding your souls, and compare your views with those of its own, and seek its help against yielding to your desires (Rabee’ al-A brar fee Nusoos al-A khbar, pp. 258-259).

The Imam (as) has also said, "One who recites the Qur’an then dies and enters the fire is among those who took Allah’s signs lightly."

Rewards of Reciting Chapters from the Holy Qur’an - 1

Imam Ja’fer al-Sadiq (as), as we are told by Shaykh Taqi al-Deen Ibrabim ibn All ibn al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Salih al-’Amili-alKaf’ami, has made the following statement with regard to the merits of reciting chapters and verses of the Holy Qur’an:

One who recites ten verses in one night will never be written down among the indifferent. One who recites fifty verses will be written down among those who remember Allah often (i.e., thakireen). If he recites a hundred, he will be written down among those who constantly supplicate (qaniteen). If he recites three hundred, he will be written down among the winners (faaizeen). If lie recites five hundred verses, he will be written down among those who reach the degree of jitihad (muitahideen). And if one recites a thousand verses, he will be rewarded with one kantar which is five thousand mithqals: each mithqal is twenty-four karats the smallest of which [in as far as the weighing in the hereafter is concerned] is as big as the mountain of Uhud, and the largest extends from the earth to the sky (Misbah al-Kaf’ami, Vol. 2, p. 531).

The Imain (as) has also said, as quoted in the same reference, "If one recites the Qur’an, Allah will let him enjoy his vision, and such recitation decreases the penalty of his parents even if they may be kajirs (apostates)." Imagine, dear reader, what it does to your parents who raised you as a Muslim...

The reader is requested to refer to what is indicated early in this book with reference to who Imam al-Sadiq (as) was, what his source of information was, and what relation he had had with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). We, however, would like to add one more statement made by this great Imam (as) that sheds light on his narration of Audit/i, since we all know that had it/i is the second source of the Sunnah, the Holy Qur’an being the first. Imam al-Sadiq (as) has said,

My hadith is the same as my father’s, while my father’s hadith is the same as my grandfather’s, and the hadith of my grandather is similar to that of al-Husain ((as) Husain’s hadith is the same as that of al-Hasan; al-Hasan’s hadith is similar to that of the Commander of the Faithful (as); the hadith of the Commander of the Faithful (as) is the same hadith of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), and the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is the speech of Allah, the Lord of Dignity and Greatness (This statement is recorded onp. 53, Vol. 1, of al-Kulayni’s book AI-Kafi).

 

From the viewpoint of Muslims who believe in and follow the flqh of Imam Ja’fer al-Sadiq (as), whatever he said was the echo of what his great grandfather the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had said. He is one of twelve Imams followed byJa’feri Shi’as and who the latter believe are divinely inspired; they are the Imams of AhI al-Bayt (as) referred to in verse 33 of Surat al-Ahzab (Chapter 33). The fad that their number is twelve and that all of them descended from Quraysh is stated in the Sahib books of our Sunni brethren. This is what all3ukhari and Muslims, as well as many others, have confirmed. Some Sunni references indicate that the Prophet (pbuh) named all of them, saying that the first was Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) followed by his son alHasan (as) then al-Hasan’s brother al-Husain (as), followed by nine from the offspring of al-Husain (as) the last of whom is al-Mahdi (as).

The great Sunni Hanafi author of Yanabee’ al-Mawaddaa narrates an incident in his book as follows:

A Jew named al-A’tal came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said, "Muhammad! I wish to ask you about certain things which I have been keeping to myself; so, if you answer them, I shall declare my acceptance of Islam before you." The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Ask me, O father of Imarah!" So he asked him about many things till he was satisfied and admitted that the Prophet (pbuh) was right. Then he said, "Tell me about your wasi (successor): who is he? No prophet can ever be without a wasi, and our prophet Moses (as) had appointed Yusha’ IJoshna] son of Noon as his successor." He (pbuh) said, "My wasi is Ali ibn Abu Talib followed by my grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husain followed by nine men from the loins of al-Husain." He said, "Then name them for me, O Muhammad!" The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Once al-Husain departs, he will be followed by his son Ali; when Ali departs, his son Muhammad will succeed him. When Muhammad departs, his son Ja’fer will follow him. When Ja’fer departs, he will be followed by his son Mousa. When Mousa departs, his son All will succeed him. When Ali departs, his son Muhammad will succeed him. When Muhammad departs, his son al-Hujjah Muhammad al-Mahdi will succeed him. These are the twelve ones." So that Jew embraced Islam and praised Allah for having guided him(‘This is recorded on p.440 of al-Hafiz al-Qandoozi al-Hanafi’s book Yanabi’ al-Mawaddak and also by al-Hamawayni in his book Faraid al-Simtain wherein he relies on the authority of Mujahid who quotes Ibn Abbas).

If we wish to turn the pages of Shi’a books and discern the facts the contain with regard to this subject, we will surely find many times a many ahadith as this one, but this suffices to prove that Sum scholars do admit that the number of the Imams (as) is twelve, an there are no such Imams besides Ali (as) and his purified offspring.

What strengthens our conviction that the Twelve Imams fror AhI al-Bayt (as) were never tutored by any of the Ummah’s scholai is the fact that no historian, nor any traditionist, nor any biographei has ever indicated that one of the Imams from Ahl al-.Bayt (as learned what he knew from some suhaba or tubi’een as is the cas with all the Ummah’s scholars and Imams.

Abu Haneefah, for example, was a student of Imam Ja’fer-a] Sadiq (as); Malik was a student of Abu Haneefab; al-Shafi’i learne’ from Malik and so did Afimed ibn Hanbal. As regarding the Imam from AhI al-Bayt (as), their knowledge is gifted by Allah, Gloiy an Exaltation to Him, and they inherit such knowledge son from fathei for they are the ones to whom the Almighty specifically refers whe: He says, "Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whor We chose from among Our servants" (Holy Qur’an, 35:32).

This much ought to convince the discreet reader that th information stated in this section is taken from a very reliable source

The Basmala
Whenever we recite a verse from the Holy Qur’an, we start with th Basmala, that is: Bismillahir-Rahrnunir-Rahuin, In the Name of Allal the Most Gracious, the most Merciful. In the Fatiha, the first chapte of the Holy Qur’an, this Basmala is a verse all by itselt whereas in a, other chapters, with the exception of Bara’ah or Tawbah where it not recited, it serves as an introduction to other verses. On pp. 39-4t Vol. 1, of his Taft ir, al-Qummi chronologically arranges the isnud o one particular statement made by Imam Ja’fer al-Sadiq (as) an’ recounts the longest list of narrators we have ever come across. Th list of narrators ends with Abu Busayr, a well-known companion o this great Imam (as), saying that he once asked Imam al-Sadiq (as about the tafsir of Bismillu/iir-Rahmunir-Rahim, so he said, and xv would like to quote his statement as well as its isnad in its origins text as follows:

After the long list of the said narrators, the Imam (as) indicates the derivation of each letter of the Basmala as follows:

The "ba" is derived from "baha-Allah," the Splendor of Allah; the ‘seen" is derived from "sanna-Allah," the Majesty of Allah; the "meem" is derived from "mulk-Allah," the Kingdom of Allah; "Allah’ is the God of everything; "alRahman" is the One Who is Merciful to all His creation; "al-Rahim" is the One Who singles out those who believe in Him to receive the greatest share of His mercy.

On p. 506 of Misbah al-Kaf’umi, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted saying that when a teacher teaching a child to recite the Holy Qur’an tells the child to recite "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim," and the child recites it, Allah will decree a clearance for the child, for his parents, and for the teacher, from hell, and that it is comprised of nineteen letters, the same number corresponding to the number of the keepers of the gates of hell; therefore, whoever pronounces it, Allah will permit these letters to close the gates of hell against him.

Now let us research and find out how each of the 114 chapters of the Holy Qur’an stands out among the rest, and what rewards the faithful will Insaia-Allah receive from the most Generous One for reciting it. Following is a translation from the Arabic of most of the original text on pp. 506-542 of Vol. 2 of Misbah ul-Kaf’umi by Shaykh Taqi al-Deen Ibrahim ibn Ali ibn al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Salih al-’Axnili al-Kaf’ami, in addition to selected texts included in Vol. 89 of al-Majlisi’s Bihar ul-Anwar

Chapter 1 (al-Fatiha)
Al-Tibrisi, in his exegesis Mujma’rd-Bayun fee Tafsir al-Qur’un, provides ten names for the first chapter of the Holy Qur’an, namely Surat al-Fatiha:

al-Fatiha, the one that opens, for it is like a gate when opened, it leads one to the Book of Allah;

al-Hamd, the praise, for its verses are clearly praising the Almighty;

Ummul Kitab, the mother of the Book, for its status is superior to all other chapters of the Holy Qur’an, or like the war standard: it is always in the forefront;

al-Sab’, the seven verses, for it is comprised of seven verses and the only one whose verses are seven, and there is no room here to elaborate on the merits of the number 7 especially since most readers of this book are already aware of such merits;

al-Mathani, the oft-repeated Chapter, for no other Chapter of the Holy Qur’an is repeated as often as this one;

al-Kafiya, the chapter that suffices and that has no substitute; you simply cannot replace its recitation with that of any other chapter of the Holy Qur’an in the first two rek’ats of the prayers, whereas it can substitute others;

al-Asas, the basis or foundation or bed-rock, a connotation of its being the foundation upon which the Holy Qur’an stands just as the Basmala ("Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim") is the foundation of the Fatiha;

alShifa, the healing, due to the fact that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has said that the Fatiha heals from all ailments except death; and

al-Salat, the prayers, or the basic requirement of the daily prayers, one without the recitation of which no prayer can be accepted, especially since tue Prophet (pbuh) has quoted the Almighty saying, ‘The prayers have been divided between Me and My servant: one half for Me, and one for him;" so when one recites it and says, "Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil-’Alameen," the Almighty says, "My servant has praised Me." And when he says, "Arrahmanir-Raheem," the Almighty says, "My servant has praised Me." And when he says, "Maliki YawmidDeen," Allah says, "My servant has exalted Me." And when he says, "Iyyaka Na’budu wa iyyaka nasta’een," Allah will say, "This is a covenant between Me and My servant, and My servant shall be granted the fulfillment of his pleas." Then if he finishes reciting the Fatiha to the end, Allah will again confirm His promise by saying, "This is for [the benefit of] My servant, and My servant will be granted the answer to his wishes."

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted by Abu Ali al-Fadl ibn al-Hassan ibn al-Eadi al-Tibrisi, may Allah have mercy on his soul, saying that one who recites al-Fatiha will be regarded by the Almighty as though he recited two-thirds of the Holy Qur’an and as though he gave by way of charity to each and every believing man and woman. "By the One in Whose hand my soul is," the Prophet (pbuh) continues, "Allah Almighty did not reveal in the Torah, the Gospel, or the Psalms any chapter like it; it is the Mother of the Book and alSab’ al-Mathani (the oft-repeated seven verses), and it is divided between Allah and His servant, and His servant shall get whatever he asks; it is the best Sura in the Book of the most Exalted One, and it is a healing from every ailment except poison, which is death." He (pbuh) is also quoted by al-Kaf’ ami as saying, "He (Allah) bestowed it upon me as His blessing, making it equivalent to the Holy Qur’an, saying, ‘And We have granted you al-Sab’ al-Mathani and the Great Qur’an (Surat al-Hijr, verse 87).’ It is the most precious among the treasures of the ‘Arsh." Indeed, Allah, the most Sublime, has chosen Muhammad (pbuh) alone to be honored by it without doing so to any other Prophet or Messenger of His with the exception of Sulayman (Solomon), peace be upon him, who was granted the Basmala (see verse 30 of Surat al-Naml, Chapter of the Ant). One who recites it, being fully convinced of his following in the footsteps of Muhammad (pbuh) and his Progeny (as), adhering to its injunctions, believing in its outward and inward meanings, will be granted by Allah for each of its letters a blessing better than what all there is in the world of wealth and good things, and whoever listens to someone reciting it will receive one third of the rewards due to its reciter.

Chapter 2 (aI-Baqarah)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted by Ubayy saying, "Whoever recites it will receive blessings from Allah and His mercy and will be granted the rewards due to one who camps for a full year, in the way of Allah, as a soldier on the borders of the Islamic domains to protect them, being constantly on vigil." Then the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) turned to the narrator, Ubayy, and said, "O Ubayy! Order the Muslims to learn it, for learning it is a blessing, while leaving it is a loss, and no magician can ever overpower it." He (pbuh) is also quoted saying that everything has a zenith, and the zenith of the Qur’an is Surat al-Baqarah. "Which ayat (verse)," he (pbuh) was asked, "in it is the best, O Messenger of Allah?" He (pbuh) said, "Ayat al-Kursi [2:255]," he (pbuh) answered. And he (pbuh) entrusted the youngest among his companions, namely al-Harith ibn Zayd ibn al-Harithah, due to the fact that he knew Surat al-Baqarah by head, to command an army to defend Islam.

Chapter 3 (ali-’Imran)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted saying that one who recites it will be given for each of its verses security on the bridge over hell, and whoever recites it on Friday will be blessed by Allah and His angels all day long till sunset. He (pbuh) is also quoted saying, "Memorize Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Aali-’Imran, for they are like two fragrant flowers, and they will shade the one who learns them by heart on the Day of Judgment like two clouds..." to shade those who used to recite them quite often from the intense heat of that Day.

Chapter 4 (aI-Nisaa)
He (pbuh) is also quoted saying that one who recites it will be regarded by the Almighty as though he were charitable to all orphans, and he will be granted rewards due to one who emancipates a person who dissociates himself from shirk and who, by the will of Allah, is forgiven." Imam Ali (as) is quoted saying that whoever recites it every Friday will be secure from the constriction of the grave.

Chapter 5 (al-Maida)
Imam Ali (as) is also quoted saying that whoever recites it will be given ten good deeds, and ten of his sins will be forgiven, and his status will be elevated by ten degrees for each and every Jew and Christian alive. (This may be due to the fact that this Qur’anic chapter discusses Judaism and Christianity in great detail). Imam-alSadiq (as) says that one who recites it on every Thursday will not mix his belief with any oppression, nor will he ever commit shirk.

Chapter 6 (al-An’am)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has said that this Chapter was revealed as a whole escorted by seventy thousand angels praising and glorifying the Almighty in unison; so, whoever recites it will be blessed by those same seventy thousand angels for a full day and night. Imam al-Rida (as) is quoted saying that those angels will keep blessing him till the Day of Judgment. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has said, "One who recites it from its beginning till the verse saying, ‘And thus do We make some oppressors befriend others on account of what they earned (6:129),’ Allah will assign for him forty thousand angels to write for him (in his book of good deeds) the like of their own adoration till the Day of Resurrection." According to the author of AI-Afrad wul Gharaib, one who does the same after having performed the fajr prayers, forty angels will descend for him, and it will be recorded for him the like of their adoration. According to the author of Al-Waseer, if one does so upon waking up, Allah Almighty will assign for him a thousand angels to protect him and to record for him the like of their deeds (of adoration) till the Day of Judgment.

Chapter 7 (aI-A’raf)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted saying that if one recites this chapter, Allah, the most Exalted One, will install a protective veil between him and Iblis, and Adam (as) will seek intercession for him on the Day of Judgment. Imam Ja’fer al-Sadiq (as) is quoted saying that one who reads it every month will be among those who shall have no fear on the Day of Judgment, nor shall they grieve; so, if he recites it every Friday, he will be among those who will not be tried on the Day of Judgment.

Chapter 8 (al-Anfal)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted saying, "If someone recites both Surat al-Anfal and Bara’ah together, I shall seek intercession for him and testify for him on the Day of Judgment that he is free from hypocrisy, and he will be granted of the rewards ten times as many as the number of hypocritical men and women in the world, and ten of his sins will be wiped out, and his status will be elevated by ten degrees, and the ‘Arsh and those (angels) that bear it shall bless him as long as he lives." Imam al-Sadiq (as) has said, "One who recites both of these chapters every month will not undergo any hypocrisy, and he will be as a true Shi ‘a of the Commander of the Faithful (as) and will be eating on the Day of Judgment of the tables of Paradise with them till Allah, the most Exalted One, is through with the Judgment."

Chapter 9 (Bara’ah)
Its merits are similar to those of Surat al-Anfal above. In a footnote regarding this Chapter, al-Kaf’ami explains that "Bara’ah" (which means clearance or dissociation or a separation from) means: dissociation (of the infidels) from Ali (as); the Basmala was not included at its beginning, as is the case with all other Chapters of the Holy Qur’an, simply because the Basmala connotes security and mercy, whereas Bara’ah was revealed to lift such security and to warn of confrontation. This chapter, al-Kaf’ami goes on, has ten names: 1) "Bara’ah," after the first word in it; 2) ‘Tawbah," due to the repentance to which it refers within its text; 3) "Faziha," the revealer, unveiler, or announcer, for it unveils and reveals the truth about and announces the hypocrisy of those hypocrites about whom it infonns us; 4) "Muba’thira," scatterer, because it scatters and displays to everyone the hidden secrets of those hypocrites; 5) "Muqashqisha," a chapter that cures or heals or clears those who believe in it of hypocrisy and polytheism due to the supplication and sincerity it contains; 6) "Bahooth," investigator or researcher or seeker, because it looks for the hypocrites’ secret schemes; 7) "Mudamdima," annihilator, because it annihilates hypocrisy and hypocrites; 8) "Hafira," excavator or digger: it dug up the hearts of the hypocrites and unveiled what they were hiding; 9) "Mubashshira," bearer of glad tidings: By making public the abominations and ugly schemes of those hypocrites, it brought glad tidings to those who were not among them, and; 10) "Athab," torment or torture, because of repeatedly referring to the torment awaiting those hypocrites and all others like them.

Chapter 10 (Younus)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted saying that one who recites this chapter will be given ten good deeds for each and everyone who believed in prophet Younus (as) as well as for those who disbelieved in him and who were drowned with Pharaoh. Imam al-Sadiq (as) is quoted saying that whoever recites it once a month will not be among the ignorant ones and will instead be on the Day of Judgment among those near to the Almighty.

Chapter 11 (Hud)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted saying that one who recites this chapter will be granted of the rewards ten good deeds for the number of each person who believed in prophet Noah (as) and who disbelieved in him and in prophets Hud, Salih, Shu’ayb, Lot, Ibrahim and Musa (Moses), peace be upon all of them, and he will be on the Day of Judgment among the happy ones. Imam al-Sadiq (as) is quoted saying that anyone who recites it every Friday will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment among the group that will include the prophets, peace be upon all of them, and he will receive an easy trial and no sin will be recorded against him.

Chapter 12 (Yousuf)
About this chapter, Iniam al-Sadiq (as) is quoted saying, "Let your slaves memorize it, for whoever teaches it to his slaves and those whose right hand possesses will die an easy death, and he will be empowered to the extent that he will envy no other Muslim at all." The Imam (as) is also quoted saying that whoever recites it every day or every night will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment with beauty similar to that of Yousuf, peace be upon him, and he will not be affected by the great terror of the Day of Judgment and will be among the best of Allah’s servants.

Chapter 13 (al-Ra’d)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted saying that one who recites this chapter will be rewarded with rewards as many as the clouds that passed away as well as those that will pass till the Day of Judgment, and he will be on the Day of Judgment among those who fulfilled their covenant with Allah. Imam Ja"fer al-Sadiq (as) is also quoted saying that one who recites this chapter quite often will never be hit by lightning and will be admitted into Paradise without reckoning, and he will be granted the right to intercede on behalf of all those of his family and brethren whom he knows.