The Viola Oil

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn al-Hakam who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Viola oil is the master of your oils.’”

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

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad ibn abu Zayd al-Raziy from his father from Salih ibn ‘Uqbah from his father who has said the following: “I once sent a mule as a gift to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), but (on the way) it made the driver to fall off. I then decided to visit him (the Imam) and when we were in al-Madinah, we informed abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about it. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must make him (the driver) to sniff viola. He sniffed viola and recovered. He (the Imam) said, ‘O ‘Uqbah, viola is of cool condition in summer and warm in winter. It is soft to our followers and dry to our enemies. If people had known what is in viola, every Awqiyah (a certain measurement) would cost one dinar.’”

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

3. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Yunus ibn Ya‘qub who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said, ‘From your area no other thing comes more likable to us than viola.’”

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

4. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from ibn Faddal from Tha’labah from Asbat ibn Salim from Israel ibn abu ‘Usamah Bayya’ al-Zuttiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The likeness of voila oil among oils is like us among other people.’”

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

5. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu from Ali ibn Hassan from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The excellence of viola oil over other oils is like the excellence of Islam over other religions. Viola is very good; it banishes the pain from the head and eyes, so you must apply it.’”

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

6. Ali ibn Hassan has narrated from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir who has said the following: “Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when Mehzam came to visit him (the Imam) and abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to me, ‘Call the slave-girl to bring for us oil.’ I called her, she brought a bottle of viola, and it was a cold day. Mehzam poured a certain amount on his palm, then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, this is viola and the day is very cold.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What about it, O Mehzam?’ He replied, ‘Our physicians in al-Kufah think that viola is of cold nature.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is cool in summer and it is soft and warm in winter.’”

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

7. 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 try to sniff viola; the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, “Had people known about what is in viola they would drink and slurp it.’””

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

8. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman from Muhammad ibn Sawqah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Viola oil calms down the condition of the brain/”

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

9. Sahl ibn Ziyad has narrated from Ali ibn Asbat in a marfu‘ manner has said the following: “He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘Applying viola oil to one’s eyebrows dispels headaches.’”

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

10. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Khalid ibn Najih who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The likeness of viola oil among the oils is like our followers among the people.’”

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

11. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated 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, ‘Curb the heat of fever with viola oil.’”

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