٢ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَأَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ جَمِيعاً عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَدِيدٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ مُقِيماً بِالْمَدِينَةِ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ سَنَةَ ثَلاثَ عَشْرَةَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ فَلَمَّا قَرُبَ الْفِطْرُ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْخُرُوجُ فِي عُمْرَةِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ أَفْضَلُ أَوْ أُقِيمُ حَتَّى يَنْقَضِيَ الشَّهْرُ وَأُتِمَّ صَوْمِي فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ كِتَاباً قَرَأْتُهُ بِخَطِّهِ سَأَلْتَ رَحِمَكَ الله عَنْ أَيُّ الْعُمْرَةِ أَفْضَلُ عُمْرَةُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ أَفْضَلُ يَرْحَمُكَ الله.
2. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from Ali ibn Mahziyar from Ali ibn Hadid who has said the following: “I had decided to stay in al-Madinah in the month of Ramadan in the year two hundred thirteen. When al-Fitr came close I wrote to abu Ja‘far , and asked if leaving for al-‘Umrah in the month of Ramadan is better or to stay to complete fasting. He (the Imam) wrote to me a letter that I read was in his own handwriting that said, ‘You have asked, may Allah grant you blessing, about which al-‘Umrah is more excellent. Al-’Umrah in the month of Ramadan is more excellent. May Allah grant you blessings.’” 