In one of the years during the caliphate of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), Friday and Eid al-Ghadir coincided. He ascended the pulpit five hours into the day and delivered a sermon.
In this famous sermon, the Imam (peace be upon him) gave important recommendations for the Day of Ghadir, mentioning abundant rewards.
At the end of his sermon, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) addressed the people, saying:
“May God grant you goodness. After this gathering, return to your homes, show kindness and generosity to your families, do good to your brothers and friends, and offer gratitude and thanks to God for these blessings He has bestowed upon you.
Gather together so that God may order your affairs, and do good to one another so that God may unite your hearts. Gift one another with God’s blessings, just as God has bestowed His favor upon you on this day, and has made the reward of every deed of yours on this day multiple times greater than the reward of deeds on other festivals.
Doing good on this day increases wealth and lengthens life, and showing kindness to one another on this day attracts God’s mercy and compassion.
As much as you are able and within your means, provide for and host your brothers and family from the grace that God has given you.
Show cheerfulness to one another, express joy when meeting each other, and be grateful for what God has granted you.
Give more to the one who hopes for your goodness, feed the needy like yourselves, as much as you are able and as is possible for you.
Spending one dirham on this day carries the reward of one hundred thousand dirhams on other days, and even more. Fasting on this day is among the things that God Almighty Himself has called for, and He Himself has undertaken its reward, such that if a servant from his youth, from the beginning of the world to its end, were to fast the days and keep vigil at night, it would not compare to the reward of fasting this day (if done sincerely).
On this day, whoever rushes to help his religious brother before he asks, and does good to him willingly, will have the reward of one who fasted this day and kept vigil at night. And whoever gives a believer iftar (breaking of fast) on Eid al-Ghadir, it is as if he has given iftar to Fi’am, and Fi’am, and Fi’am, and…” – here the Imam (peace be upon him) repeated the word “Fi’am” ten times with his hand.
A man stood up from his place and said:
“O Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), what is ‘Fi’am’?”
The Imam (peace be upon him) replied:
“One hundred thousand prophets, truthful ones (Siddiqun), and martyrs.”
(Meaning that giving iftar to one believer is equivalent to giving iftar to one million prophets.) Then what of the one who has undertaken the sponsorship of a number of believing men and women? I guarantee his protection from disbelief and poverty.
And if someone dies on the night of Eid al-Ghadir, or on its day, or after Eid al-Ghadir until such a day in the following year, provided he has not committed a major sin, then his reward is with God.
And whoever takes a loan on behalf of his brothers (mediates to solve their problems) and helps them, I am the guarantor on behalf of God that if he remains alive, his debt will be paid, and if he passes away, God Himself will undertake his debt.
When you meet one another, shake hands, offer greetings , congratulate one another for the blessing of this day. Let those present convey it to those absent, and witnesses to those who come after. Let the wealthy visit the poor, and the strong visit the weak. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) commanded me to do this.”
Then Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) performed the Friday prayer, treating it as the Eid prayer, and together with his children and his Shia, went to the house of Imam al-Hasan (peace be upon him). Both the rich and the poor took from that food for their families.
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 94, p. 112
