Excellence of Salt

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from ibn Bukayr from Zurarah 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, said to ’Amir al- Mu’minin, ‘O Ali, begin taking food with salt and end it with salt. It dispels seventy kinds of troubles of which the least serious is leprosy.”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Um ay r from Hisham ibn Salim 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, said to ’Amir al- Mu’minin, ‘O Ali, begin taking your food with salt and end it with salt. One who begins taking his food with salt and ends it with salt remains safe from seventy-two kinds of troubles of which is leprosy, insanity and albinism.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ’Isma‘il ibn Marrar from Yunus from a man from Sa‘d al-Iskaf who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘In salt there is cure for seventy kinds of pains.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Had people known that which is in salt they would not seek treatment for an illness with anything other than salt.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hassan ibn Rashid from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘You must begin your food with salt. Had people known that which is in salt they would choose it before using the experimented antidote.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Bakr ibn Salih from al-Ja‘fariy who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘A table-spread with food in it has no blessings without salt. For good health of the body one must begin his food with salt.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Sama‘ah from Ahmad ibn al-Hassan al-Mithamiy from Sukayn ibn ‘Ammar from Fudayl al-Rassan from Farwah who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent revelation to Moses son of ‘Imran (a.s.) to command his people to begin their food with salt and end it with salt, otherwise, they must not blame anyone other than their ownselves.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ibrahim ibn abu Mahmud who has said the following: “Al-Rida’ (a.s.), once asked us, ‘Which food is of greater preference?’ Certain ones among us said that it is meat, others said that it is oil, yet others said it is milk. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is salt.’ We then went outside for freshness and a certain one of servants forgot salt. They slaughtered a sheep for us which was the most fat one and we could not benefit thereof anything until we returned back.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

8. It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Ya’qub ibn Yazid in a marfu’ manner who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one spreads salt on the first morsel of his food, blemish of skin goes away from his face.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said that once scorpion bit the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and he (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘May Allah condemn you. You do not distinguish between a believer and unbeliever and do not know whom you can hurt’. He (the Messenger of Allah) then asked for salt and rubbed it on the bitten place and it calmed down. Abu Ja’far (a.s.), then said, ‘Had people known that which is in salt they would not seek another antidote.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

10. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father and ‘Amr ibn Ibrahim all from Khalaf ibn Hammad from Ya’qub ibn Shu’ayb who has said the following: “Once, scorpion bit 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) then threw it away, saying, ‘May Allah condemn you, both believers and unbelievers are not safe from you.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) then asked for salt, placed it on the bitten place and squeezed it with his thumb until it melted and then said, ‘Had people known that which is in salt, they would not need to seek any other antidote.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.