The Herbs

بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ الْمَاضِي ع يَوْماً فَأَجْلَسَنِي لِلْغَدَاءِ فَلَمَّا جَاءُوا بِالْمَائِدَةِ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهَا بَقْلٌ فَأَمْسَكَ يَدَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلْغُلَامِ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنِّي لَا آكُلُ عَلَى مَائِدَةٍ لَيْسَ فِيهَا خُضْرَةٌ فَأْتِنِي بِالْخُضْرَةِ قَالَ فَذَهَبَ الْغُلَامُ فَجَاءَ بِالْبَقْلِ فَأَلْقَاهُ عَلَى الْمَائِدَةِ فَمَدَّ يَدَهُ ع حِينَئِذٍ وَ أَكَلَ.

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Madiy (a.s.), once sent for me and he made me to stay for lunch. When they brought the table-spread with food there were no herbs in it. He (the Imam) held his hand and said to the boy, ’Did you not know that I do not eat until there are green herbs on the table-spread, so bring for me fresh herbs. 5

كُنْتُ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَلَى الْمَائِدَةِ فَمَالَ عَلَى الْبَقْلِ وَ امْتَنَعْتُ أَنَا مِنْهُ لِعِلَّةٍ كَانَتْ بِي فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ يَا حَنَانُ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع لَمْ يُؤْتَ بِطَبَقٍ إِلَّا وَ عَلَيْهِ بَقْلٌ قُلْتُ وَ لِمَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَقَالَ لِأَنَّ قُلُوبَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ خَضِرَةٌ وَ هِيَ تَحِنُّ إِلَى أَشْكَالِهَا.

“Once I was with abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), on the table-spread of food and he (the Imam) ate fresh herbs but I abstained because of a certain illness. He (the Imam) turned to me and said, ‘O Hanan, did you not know that whenever a package of food was brought to ’Amir al-Mu’minin it neccessarily had herbs in it?’ I then a