وَ اللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ مِثْلَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَطُّ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنِّي سَأَلْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ مَا يُؤْكَلُ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ فَقَالَ كُلْ مَا دَفَّ وَ لَا تَأْكُلْ مَا صَفَّ قُلْتُ الْبَيْضُ فِي الْآجَامِ فَقَالَ مَا اسْتَوَى طَرَفَاهُ[1] فَلَا تَأْكُلْهُ وَ مَا اخْتَلَفَ طَرَفَاهُ فَكُلْ قُلْتُ فَطَيْرُ الْمَاءِ قَالَ مَا كَانَتْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ فَكُلْ وَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ فَلَا تَأْكُلْ.
“I swear by Allah that I have never seen anyone like abu Ja‘far, Alayhi al-Salam. I once, said to him (the Imam), ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well, what is edible of birds?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You can use for food all that flap their wings in flight, and do not eat what keeps its wings straight in flight.’ I then as