Another Chapter on the Same Topic

أَقْرَأَنِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع شَيْئاً مِنْ كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ ع فَإِذَا فِيهِ أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْجِرِّيِّ وَ الزِّمِّيرِ وَ الْمَارْمَاهِي وَ الطَّافِي وَ الطِّحَالِ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ إِنَّا نُؤْتَى بِالسَّمَكِ لَيْسَ لَهُ قِشْرٌ فَقَالَ كُلْ مَا لَهُ قِشْرٌ مِنَ السَّمَكِ وَ مَا لَيْسَ لَهُ قِشْرٌ فَلَا تَأْكُلْهُ.

“Once abu Ja‘far (a.s.), made me read something from the books of ‘Ali (a.s.). Therein I found this: I prohibit you from using eel for food, al-Zimir, (a certain kind of fish), Mar mahi (something like fish), snake fish, dead fish floating on water and the spleen.’ I then asked, ‘O child of the Messenger of Allah, may

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ الْحِيتَانُ مَا يُؤْكَلُ مِنْهَا فَقَالَ مَا كَانَ لَهُ قِشْرٌ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا تَقُولُ فِي الْكَنْعَتِ‌[2] فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِأَكْلِهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ قِشْرٌ فَقَالَ لِي بَلَى وَ لَكِنَّهَا سَمَكَةٌ سَيِّئَةُ الْخُلُقِ تَحْتَكُّ بِكُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ وَ إِذَا نَظَرْتَ فِي أَصْلِ أُذُنِهَا وَجَدْتَ لَهَا قِشْراً.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ’I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, of fish which kind is edible?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The kind of fish that has scales is edible.’ I then asked, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, what do you say about al-Kan‘at (a kind of f

لَا تَأْكُلُوا مِنَ السَّمَكِ إِلَّا شَيْئاً عَلَيْهِ فُلُوسٌ وَ كَرِهَ الْمَارْمَاهِيَ.

“One of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said that ’Amir al- Mu’minin (a.s.), disliked eel. He (the Imam) had said, ‘Do not use for food the kind of fish which has no scales’ and he (the Imam) disliked al-Mar Mahi (catfish).”’

لَا تَأْكُلِ الْجِرِّيثَ وَ لَا الْمَارْمَاهِيَ وَ لَا طَافِياً وَ لَا طِحَالًا لِأَنَّهُ بَيْتُ الدَّمِ وَ مُضْغَةُ الشَّيْطَانِ.

‘Do not use for food eel, al-Mar Mahi, the dead fish floating on water and the spleen because it is the home of blood and a morsel of Satan.’”

حُمِلَتْ إِلَيَّ رَبِيثَا يَابِسَةٌ[2] فِي صُرَّةٍ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْهَا فَقَالَ كُلْهَا فَلَهَا قِشْرٌ.

“Dried up rabitha (a type of fish) was sent to me in a sack and I visited Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.), and asked him about it. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can eat it; it has scales.’”

كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع- بِالْكُوفَةِ يَرْكَبُ بَغْلَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص ثُمَّ يَمُرُّ بِسُوقِ الْحِيتَانِ فَيَقُولُ لَا تَأْكُلُوا وَ لَا تَبِيعُوا مِنَ السَّمَكِ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ قِشْرٌ.

‘Do not use for food and do not sell of fish whatever has no scales.’”

سَأَلَ الْعَلَاءُ بْنُ كَامِلٍ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ أَنَا حَاضِرٌ عَنِ الْجِرِّيِّ فَقَالَ وَجَدْنَا فِي كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ ع أَشْيَاءَ مُحَرَّمَةً مِنَ السَّمَكِ فَلَا تَقْرَبْهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ قِشْرٌ مِنَ السَّمَكِ فَلَا تَقْرَبَنَّهُ.

“Al-‘Ala’ ibn Kamil asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when I was present, about eel. He (the Imam) said, ‘We have found in the book of Ali (a.s.), of fish certain varities are unlawful for food so do not go close to them.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘Of fish those which have no scales, do not go close to them.’”

أَهْدَى الْفَيْضُ بْنُ الْمُخْتَارِ- لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَبِيثَا فَأَدْخَلَهَا إِلَيْهِ وَ أَنَا عِنْدَهُ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا وَ قَالَ هَذِهِ لَهَا قِشْرٌ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ وَ نَحْنُ نَرَاهُ.

‘This has scales.’ He (the Imam) ate thereof and we saw him eating.”’

أَلَا لَا تَأْكُلُوا وَ لَا تَبِيعُوا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ قِشْرٌ.

’Amir al-Mu’minin would ride the mule of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He (the Imam) then would pass by the fish market and say, ‘You must not use for food and must not sell whatever does not have scales.’”

خَرَجْنَا بِسَمَكٍ نَتَلَقَّى بِهِ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع وَ قَدْ خَرَجْنَا مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ وَ قَدْ قَدِمَ هُوَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ لَهُ‌[1] فَقَالَ وَيْحَكَ يَا فُلَانُ لَعَلَّ مَعَكَ سَمَكاً فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا سَيِّدِي جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَقَالَ انْزِلُوا ثُمَّ قَالَ وَيْحَكَ لَعَلَّهُ زَهْوٌ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَأَرَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ ارْكَبُوا لَا حَاجَةَ لَنَا فِيهِ وَ الزَّهْوُ سَمَكٌ لَيْسَ لَهُ قِشْرٌ.

10. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Ali from his uncle Muhammad ibn Sulayman ibn Ja‘far who has said the following: “Ishaq, fisherman, narrated to me the following, ‘Once we went out with fish to meet abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.). We went out of al-Madinah and he (the Imam) was coming from his jou

لَا يَحِلُّ أَكْلُ الْجِرِّيِّ وَ لَا السُّلَحْفَاةِ وَ لَا السَّرَطَانِ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اللَّحْمِ الَّذِي يَكُونُ فِي أَصْدَافِ الْبَحْرِ وَ الْفُرَاتِ أَ يُؤْكَلُ فَقَالَ ذَاكَ لَحْمُ الضَّفَادِعِ لَا يَحِلُّ أَكْلُهُ.

11. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from al-‘Amrakiy from Ali ibn Ja‘far from his brother abu al-Hassan (a.s.), who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not lawful to use eel, turtle and crab for food.’ I then asked him (the Imam) about the shellfish of the ocean and al-Furat: if they could b

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْجِرِّيِّ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مَسَخَ طَائِفَةً مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَمَا أَخَذَ مِنْهُمُ الْبَحْرَ فَهُوَ الْجِرِّيُّ وَ الزِّمِّيرُ وَ الْمَارْمَاهِي وَ مَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ وَ مَا أَخَذَ مِنْهُمُ الْبَرَّ فَالْقِرَدَةُ وَ الْخَنَازِيرُ وَ الْوَبْرُ وَ الْوَرَلُ‌[2] وَ مَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about eel. He (the Imam) said, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, metamorphosed a group of banu Israelites, those of them who went to the sea are eels, al-Zimir and al-Mar Mahi and others, and those who remained on land are apes, pigs, wild cats and lizards and others.’”

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى الرِّضَا ع السَّمَكُ لَا يَكُونُ لَهُ قِشْرٌ أَ يُؤْكَلُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ مِنَ السَّمَكِ مَا يَكُونُ لَهُ زَعَارَّةٌ[3] فَيَحْتَكُّ بِكُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ فَتَذْهَبُ قُشُورُهُ وَ لَكِنْ إِذَا اخْتَلَفَ طَرَفَاهُ يَعْنِي ذَنَبَهُ وَ رَأْسَهُ فَكُلْهُ.

“I once wrote to abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), and asked if fish which has no scales can be used for food. He (the Imam) said, ‘Of fish there are those which have bad manners and they rub against everything and its scales go away, but if its two ends are different, its tail and head, then you can use it for food.’”