The Book of Food
Eating Pieces of Food that Fall on the Table-spread
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مِهْزَمٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ شَكَا رَجُلٌ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) مَا يَلْقَى مِنْ وَجَعِ الْخَاصِرَةِ فَقَالَ مَا يَمْنَعُكَ مِنْ أَكْلِ مَا يَقَعُ مِنَ الْخِوَانِ .
7. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from ibn Khalid from Muhammad ibn Ali from Ibrahim ibn Mehzam who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said that once a man complained before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), against his lower back pain. He (the Imam) said, ‘Why do you not eat pieces of food that fall on the table-spread/”
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَمَّرِ بْنِ خَلَّادٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ( عليه السلام ) يَقُولُ مَنْ أَكَلَ فِي مَنْزِلِهِ طَعَاماً فَسَقَطَ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ فَلْيَتَنَاوَلْهُ وَ مَنْ أَكَلَ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ أَوْ خَارِجاً فَلْيَتْرُكْهُ لِلطَّيْرِ وَ السَّبُعِ .
8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Mu’ammar ibn Khallad who has said the following: “I once heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘If one eats food in his house and pieces of food fall off, he must pick them up and eat; but if one eats food in the wilderness or outdoors he should leave such pieces for the birds and beasts.”’ (See also Ch. 48, h 15)
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنِ الْأَصَمِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْأَرَّجَانِيِّ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) وَ هُوَ يَأْكُلُ فَرَأَيْتُهُ يَتَتَبَّعُ مِثْلَ السِّمْسِمِ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ مَا سَقَطَ مِنَ الْخِوَانِ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ تَتَبَّعُ هَذَا فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ هَذَا رِزْقُكَ فَلَا تَدَعْهُ أَمَا إِنَّ فِيهِ شِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ .
9. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid from certain persons of his people from al- Asamm from ‘ Abd Allah al-Arjaniy who has said the following: “Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and he was eating. I saw him searching for pieces of food fallen on the table-spread of the size of sesame seed. I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, are you looking for such pieces?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘O ‘Abd Allah, it is your sustenance; do not leave them, and besides there is cure in them for all kinds of illness.’”
The Book of Food
The Excellence of Bread
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شِمْرٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) يَقُولُ إِنِّي لَأَلْحَسُ أَصَابِعِي مِنَ الْأُدْمِ حَتَّى أَخَافَ أَنْ يَرَانِي خَادِمِي فَيَرَى أَنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنَ التَّجَشُّعِ وَ لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ كَذَلِكَإِنَّ قَوْماً أُفْرِغَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ النِّعْمَةُ وَ هُمْ أَهْلُ الثَّرْثَارِ فَعَمَدُوا إِلَى مُخِّ الْحِنْطَةِ فَجَعَلُوهَا خُبْزاً هَجَاءً وَ جَعَلُوا يُنْجُونَ بِهِ صِبْيَانَهُمْ حَتَّى اجْتَمَعَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ جَبَلٌ عَظِيمٌقَالَ فَمَرَّ بِهِمْ رَجُلٌ صَالِحٌ وَ إِذَا امْرَأَةٌ وَ هِيَ تَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ بِصَبِيٍّ لَهَا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ وَيْحَكُمْ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لَا تُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِكُمْ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ كَأَنَّكَ تُخَوِّفُنَا بِالْجُوعِ أَمَّا مَا دَامَ ثَرْثَارُنَا تَجْرِي فَإِنَّا لَا نَخَافُ الْجُوعَقَالَ فَأَسِفَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَأَضْعَفَ لَهُمُ الثَّرْثَارَ وَ حَبَسَ عَنْهُمْ قَطْرَ السَّمَاءِ وَ نَبَاتَ الْأَرْضِ قَالَ فَاحْتَاجُوا إِلَى ذَلِكَ الْجَبَلِ وَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُقْسَمُ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْمِيزَانِ .
1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘ Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah ‘Amr ibn Shamir who has said the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘I lick food from my fingers but I fear my servants’ seeing me and their thinking that I am greedy. That is not true. A people upon whom bounties were poured owned a very large canal. They bleached the wheat for bread for food and used it to wipe their children with it until the dumpsite became like a huge mountain. A virtuous man passed by and saw a woman wipe her child with it. He said to them, ‘Fie upon you, have fear of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and do not change the bounty you enjoy.’ She said, ‘Are you frightening us of hunger? As long as we have our great canal flowing we will not be afraid of hunger.’ It angered Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and He made their canal to weaken, stopped the sky to rain on them and the earth to grow (anything ). He (the Imam) said, ‘They became needy of that dumpsite and divided it among them by means of balance.’”
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مَسْعَدَةَ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) أَكْرِمُوا الْخُبْزَ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ عَمِلَ فِيهِ مَا بَيْنَ الْعَرْشِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَ مَا فِيهَا مِنْ كَثِيرٍ مِنْ خَلْقِهِثُمَّ قَالَ لِمَنْ حَوْلَهُ أَ لَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ قَالُوا بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فِدَاكَ الْآبَاءُ وَ الْأُمَّهَاتُ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ نَبِيٌّ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ دَانِيَالُ وَ إِنَّهُ أَعْطَى صَاحِبَ مِعْبَرٍ رَغِيفاً لِكَيْ يَعْبُرَ بِهِ فَرَمَى صَاحِبُ الْمِعْبَرِ بِالرَّغِيفِ وَ قَالَ مَا أَصْنَعُ بِالْخُبْزِ هَذَا الْخُبْزُ عِنْدَنَا قَدْ يُدَاسُ بِالْأَرْجُلِفَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ دَانِيَالُ رَفَعَ يَدَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ أَكْرِمِ الْخُبْزَ فَقَدْ رَأَيْتَ يَا رَبِّ مَا صَنَعَ هَذَا الْعَبْدُ وَ مَا قَالَقَالَ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ أَنْ تَحْبِسَ الْغَيْثَ وَ أَوْحَى إِلَى الْأَرْضِ أَنْ كُونِي طَبَقاً كَالْفَخَّارِ قَالَ فَلَمْ يُمْطَرُوا حَتَّى أَنَّهُ بَلَغَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ أَنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ أَكَلَ بَعْضاً فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مِنْهُمْ مَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ لِأُخْرَى وَ لَهُمَا وَلَدَانِ يَا فُلَانَةُ تَعَالِي حَتَّى نَأْكُلَ أَنَا وَ أَنْتِ الْيَوْمَ وَلَدِي وَ إِذَا كَانَ غَداً أَكَلْنَا وَلَدَكِ قَالَتْ لَهَا نَعَمْ فَأَكَلَتَاهُفَلَمَّا أَنْ جَاعَتَا مِنْ بَعْدُ رَاوَدَتِ الْأُخْرَى عَلَى أَكْلِ وَلَدِهَا فَامْتَنَعَتْ عَلَيْهَا فَ��َالَتْ لَهَا بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَكِ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ فَاخْتَصَمَا إِلَى دَانِيَالَ ( عليه السلام ) فَقَالَ لَهُمَا وَ قَدْ بَلَغَ الْأَمْرُ إِلَى مَا أَرَى قَالَتَا لَهُ نَعَمْ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَ أَشَدَّقَالَ فَرَفَعَ يَدَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ عُدْ عَلَيْنَا بِفَضْلِكَ وَ فَضْلِ رَحْمَتِكَ وَ لَا تُعَاقِبِ الْأَطْفَالَ وَ مَنْ فِيهِ خَيْرٌ بِذَنْبِ صَاحِبِ الْمِعْبَرِ وَ أَضْرَابِهِ لِنِعْمَتِكَقَالَ فَأَمَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ السَّمَاءَ أَنْ أَمْطِرِي عَلَى الْأَرْضِ وَ أَمَرَ الْأَرْضَ أَنْ أَنْبِتِي لِخَلْقِي مَا قَدْ فَاتَهُمْ مِنْ خَيْرِكَ فَإِنِّي قَدْ رَحِمْتُهُمْ بِالطِّفْلِ الصَّغِيرِ .
2. Afi ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas’adah ibn Sadaqah who has said the following: “It is a narration of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), from the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He (the Messenger of Allah) once said, ‘You must treat bread with reverence because from the throne to earth and what is in it, a large number of His creatures have worked for it (to make it ready).’ He (the Messenger of Allah) then said, ‘Will you like if I tell you something?’ They replied, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah, we pray to Allah to keep the fathers and mothers in service for your cause.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘Among the Prophets before you there was a Prophet called Daniel. He once gave one loaf of bread to the owner of the crossing (means) to help for crossing. He threw the bread away saying, ‘It is of no use for me. We crush bread under our foot.’ When Daniel saw it, he raised his hands to the sky and said, ‘O Lord, make bread revered because I saw what this servant just did to it and what he said.’ Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent revelation to the sky and told it to withhold rain and the earth to turn into a piece of pottery.’ It did not rain and they ended up eating each other. When their condition reached the point which Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, wanted, one woman said to the other, who each had a child, to one day eat the child of one of them. The other woman agreed and they ate the child. When they became hungry again the other woman demanded to eat the child of the other woman but she refused saying, ‘Between us there is the Prophet of Allah.’ They went to Daniel (a.s.), for judgment. He said to them, ‘I can see to what degree the condition has reached.’ They said, ‘Yes, O Prophet of Allah and it is more difficult.’ He raised his hands to the sky and said, ‘O Lord, return to us with Your generosity, and the extra of Your mercy and do not make the children to suffer because of the sins of the owner of the crossing and his disrespecting Your bounties.’ Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, commanded the sky to send rain and earth to grow produce for His creatures what they had lost of the goodness because He had turned to them with kindness through the small child.’”
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنِ الْمِيثَمِيِّ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ تَغْلِبَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) لَا يُوضَعُ الرَّغِيفُ تَحْتَ الْقَصْعَةِ .
3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Washsha’ from al-Mithamiy from Aban ibn Taghlib who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A loaf of bread must not be placed under the dish.”
الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ السَّيَّارِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) أَكْرِمُوا الْخُبْزَ قِيلَ وَ مَا إِكْرَامُهُ قَالَ إِذَا وُضِعَ لَا يُنْتَظَرُ بِهِ غَيْرُهُ .
4. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from al-Sayyariy from Ali ibn Asbat from certain persons of his people who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You must treat bread with reverence.’ It was asked, ‘What is treating it with reverence?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘When it is made available one must not wait for others.’”
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ طَلْحَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) أَكْرِمُوا الْخُبْزَ فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَ مَا إِكْرَامُهُ قَالَ إِذَا وُضِعَ لَمْ يُنْتَظَرْ بِهِ غَيْرُهُوَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) وَ مِنْ كَرَامَتِهِ أَنْ لَا يُوطَأَ وَ لَا يُقْطَعَ .
5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘ Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah from Talhah ibn Zayd from certain persons of our people who has said the following: “He (the Imam) has said that the Messenger of Allah, once said, ‘You must treat bread with reverence.’ It was asked, ‘What is its reverence?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘When it is made available one must not wait for others.’ The Messenger of Allah has said that of treating it with reverence is not to step on it or cut it.’”
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) إِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ تَشَمُّوا الْخُبْزَ كَمَا تَشَمُّهُ السِّبَاعُ فَإِنَّ الْخُبْزَ مُبَارَكٌ أَرْسَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ السَّمَاءَ مِدْرَاراً وَ لَهُ أَنْبَتَ اللَّهُ الْمَرْعَى وَ بِهِ صَلَّيْتُمْ وَ بِهِ صُمْتُمْ وَ بِهِ حَجَجْتُمْ بَيْتَ رَبِّكُمْ .
6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You must never smell bread like the beasts do. Bread is blessed and Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has sent the sky with rain and because of it He has grown the pastures. By means of bread you perform Salat (prayer), observe fast and perform al-Hajj of the House of your Lord.’”
وَ بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) إِذَا أُوتِيتُمْ بِالْخُبْزِ وَ اللَّحْمِ فَابْدَءُوا بِالْخُبْزِ فَسُدُّوا بِهِ خِلَالَ الْجُوعِ ثُمَّ كُلُوا اللَّحْمَ .
7. Through the same chain of narrators as that of the previous Hadith the following is narrated: “He (the Imam) has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘When bread and meat is brought for you, eat bread first to stop the emptiness of hunger, then eat the meat.’”