The Apple

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ التُّفَّاحُ نَضُوحُ الْمَعِدَةِ[3].

The apple is a stomach cleanser.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع يَقُولُ‌ التُّفَّاحُ يَنْفَعُ مِنْ خِصَالٍ عِدَّةٍ مِنَ السَّمِّ وَ السِّحْرِ وَ اللَّمَمِ‌[4] يَعْرِضُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ وَ الْبَلْغَمِ الْغَالِبِ وَ لَيْسَ شَيْ‌ءٌ أَسْرَعَ مِنْهُ مَنْفَعَةً.

The apple has several benefits. It is beneficial against poison, magic and slight mental derangement, which is caused (spread) from the people of the earth and increased phlegm. No other thing is so quickly beneficial.’”

بَعَثَنِي الْمُفَضَّلُ بْنُ عُمَرَ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع بِلَطَفٍ‌[5]- فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ صَائِفٍ وَ قُدَّامَهُ طَبَقٌ فِيهِ تُفَّاحٌ أَخْضَرُ فَوَ اللَّهِ إِنْ صَبَرْتُ أَنْ‌[1] قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَ تَأْكُلُ مِنْ هَذَا وَ النَّاسُ يَكْرَهُونَهُ فَقَالَ لِي كَأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَزَلْ يَعْرِفُنِي وُعِكْتُ‌[2] فِي لَيْلَتِي هَذِهِ فَبَعَثْتُ فَأُتِيتُ بِهِ فَأَكَلْتُهُ وَ هُوَ يَقْلَعُ الْحُمَّ

“Al-Mufaddal ibn ’Umar once sent me to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), for a favor (from the Imam). I went to him (the Imam) on a summer day and before him there was a tray with green apples in it and I by Allah could hardly wait until I asked saying, ’I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, do you eat this w

دَخَلْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ وَ مَعِي أَخِي سَيْفٌ فَأَصَابَ النَّاسُ بِرُعَافٍ فَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ إِذَا رَعَفَ يَوْمَيْنِ مَاتَ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى الْمَنْزِلِ فَإِذَا سَيْفٌ يَرْعُفُ رُعَافاً شَدِيداً فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع فَقَالَ يَا زِيَادُ أَطْعِمْ سَيْفاً التُّفَّاحَ فَأَطْعَمْتُهُ إِيَّاهُ فَبَرَأَ.

“I once entered al-Madinah with my brother Sayf. People suffered from nasal hemorrhage because of which a man after two days died. I returned to my lodging and found Sayf with nasal hemorrhage severely. I went to abu al-Hassan (a.s.). He (the Imam) said, ‘O Ziyad feed Sayf apples.’ I fed him apples and he got well.’”

أَصَابَ النَّاسَ وَبَاءٌ بِمَكَّةَ فَكَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ كُلِ التُّفَّاحَ.

“People in Makkah suffered plague. I wrote to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about it and he (the Imam) wrote to me and said to eat apples.”

رَعَفْتُ سَنَةً بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَسَأَلَ أَصْحَابُنَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ يُمْسِكُ الرُّعَافَ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ اسْقُوهُ سَوِيقَ التُّفَّاحِ فَسَقَوْنِي فَانْقَطَعَ عَنِّي الرُّعَافُ.

“I one year suffered nasal hemorrhage in al-Madinah and our people asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about something that can stop nose bleeding. He (the Imam) said, ‘Make him drink sawiq of apples (soup of apples).’ They followed the instruction and my nose bleeding stopped.’”

مَا أَعْرِفُ لِلسُّمُومِ دَوَاءً أَنْفَعَ مِنْ سَوِيقِ التُّفَّاحِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I do not know of anything more beneficial against poisoning than sawiq of apples.’”

كَانَ إِذَا لَسَعَ إِنْسَاناً مِنْ أَهْلِ الدَّارِ حَيَّةٌ أَوْ عَقْرَبٌ قَالَ اسْقُوهُ سَوِيقَ التُّفَّاحِ.

“Whenever a poisonous thing like snake or scorpion would bite anyone in the family he (the Imam) would say, ‘Make him drink sawiq of apples.’”

ذُكِرَ لَهُ الْحُمَّى فَقَالَ ع إِنَّا أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ لَا نَتَدَاوَى إِلَّا بِإِفَاضَةِ الْمَاءِ الْبَارِدِ يُصَبُّ عَلَيْنَا وَ أَكْلِ التُّفَّاحِ.

“Once, fever was mentioned before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.). He (the Imam) said, ‘We are the people of the family who do not use any medicine for it except pouring cold water on us and eating apples.’”

لَوْ يَعْلَمُ‌ النَّاسُ مَا فِي التُّفَّاحِ مَا دَاوَوْا مَرْضَاهُمْ إِلَّا بِهِ. - قَالَ وَ رَوَى بَعْضُهُمْ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: أَطْعِمُوا مَحْمُومِيكُمُ التُّفَّاحَ فَمَا مِنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ أَنْفَعَ مِنَ التُّفَّاحِ.

“Feed apples to your people suffering from fever; no other thing is more beneficial than apples.’”

إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع قَالَ: كُلُوا التُّفَّاحَ فَإِنَّهُ يَدْبُغُ الْمَعِدَةَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘Eat apples; it tans (cleanses) the stomach.’”