The Pear

كُلُوا الْكُمَّثْرَى فَإِنَّهُ يَجْلُو الْقَلْبَ وَ يُسَكِّنُ أَوْجَاعَ الْجَوْفِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى.

‘You can eat pears; it brightens the heart (mind) and calms down pains by the permission of Allah.’”

الْكُمَّثْرَى يَدْبُغُ الْمَعِدَةَ وَ يُقَوِّيهَا هُوَ وَ السَّفَرْجَلُ سَوَاءٌ وَ هُوَ عَلَى الشِّبَعِ أَنْفَعُ مِنْهُ عَلَى الرِّيقِ وَ مَنْ أَصَابَهُ طَخَاءٌ[2] فَلْيَأْكُلْهُ يَعْنِي عَلَى الطَّعَامِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Pears tan (cleanses) the stomach and makes it strong. Pears and quince are the same. On a full stomach, it is more beneficial than before breakfast. If one feels depression and sadness in his heart he should eat pears after food.’”

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلِ ع وَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ تَوْرُ[3] مَاءٍ فِيهِ إِجَّاصٌ أَسْوَدُ فِي إِبَّانِهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ هَاجَتْ بِي حَرَارَةٌ وَ إِنَّ الْإِجَّاصَ الطَّرِيَّ يُطْفِئُ الْحَرَارَةَ وَ يُسَكِّنُ الصَّفْرَاءَ وَ إِنَّ الْيَابِسَ مِنْهُ يُسَكِّنُ الدَّمَ وَ يَسُلُّ الدَّاءَ الدَّوِيَّ.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn Ja‘far from Ya’qub ibn Yazid from Ziyad al-Qandiy who has said the following: “I once went to see abu al-Hassan, al-Awwal, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, and before him (the Imam) there was a bowl with black plums in its time (season). He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because fever i

كَانَ عِنْدِي ضَيْفٌ فَتَشَهَّى أُتْرُجّاً بِعَسَلٍ فَأَطْعَمْتُهُ وَ أَكَلْتُ مَعَهُ ثُمَّ مَضَيْتُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ إِذَا الْمَائِدَةُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَقَالَ لِي ادْنُ فَكُلْ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي أَكَلْتُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آتِيَكَ أُتْرُجّاً بِعَسَلٍ وَ أَنَا أَجِدُ ثِقْلَهُ لِأَنِّي أَكْثَرْتُ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ يَا غُلَامُ انْطَلِقْ إِلَى الْجَارِيَةِ فَقُلْ لَهَا ابْعَثِي إِلَيْنَا بِحَرْفِ‌[4] رَغِيفٍ يَابِسٍ

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-Washsha’ all from Ali ibn abu Hamzah from abu Basir who has said the following: “There was a guest in my house who liked citron with honey. I served him and I ate with him; then I went to visit abu ‘ Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, wh

بِأَيِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَطِبَّاؤُكُمْ فِي الْأُتْرُجِّ فَقُلْتُ يَأْمُرُونَنَا أَنْ نَأْكُلَهُ قَبْلَ الطَّعَامِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي آمُرُكُمْ بِهِ بَعْدَ الطَّعَامِ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Bakr ibn Salih from ‘Abd Allah ibn Ibrahim al-Ja‘fariy who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, once asked, ‘What do your physicians recommend for you about citron?’ I replied, ‘They recommend us to eat citron before food.’ He (the Im

كُلُوا الْأُتْرُجَّ بَعْدَ الطَّعَامِ فَإِنَّ آلَ مُحَمَّدٍ ع يَفْعَلُونَ ذَلِكَ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, from al-Qasim ibn Yahya, from his grandfather, al- Hassan ibn Rashid, from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Eat citron after food; because Ale Muhammad, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad

الْخُبْزُ الْيَابِسُ يَهْضِمُ الْأُتْرُجَّ.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Dry bread helps one to digests citron.’”