Eating Clay

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ الطِّينُ حَرَامٌ كُلُّهُ كَلَحْمِ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَ مَنْ أَكَلَهُ ثُمَّ مَاتَ فِيهِ لَمْ أُصَلِّ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا طِينَ الْقَبْرِ[2] فَإِنَّ فِيهِ شِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ وَ مَنْ أَكَلَهُ لِشَهْوَةٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ.

’Eating clay is unlawful in its entirety, like the flesh of pork. If one eats it and dies, I will not perform Salat (prayer) for him except the clay from the grave (of al-Husayn (a.s.) ) in which there is cure for all kinds of illnesses but if one eats it because of strong desire, then there is no cure in it.’”

أَكْلُ الطِّينِ يُورِثُ النِّفَاقَ.

’Eating clay is of the sources of hypocrisy.”’

مَنِ انْهَمَكَ‌[3] فِي أَكْلِ الطِّينِ فَقَدْ شَرِكَ فِي دَمِ نَفْسِهِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘One who continues eating clay has a share in his own murder.’”

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خَلَقَ آدَمَ مِنَ الطِّينِ فَحَرَّمَ أَكْلَ الطِّينِ عَلَى ذُرِّيَّتِهِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, created Adam from clay and has made it unlawful for his offspring to eat clay.’”

قِيلَ لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فِي رَجُلٍ يَأْكُلُ الطِّينَ فَنَهَاهُ فَقَالَ لَا تَأْكُلْهُ فَإِنْ أَكَلْتَهُ وَ مِتَّ كُنْتَ قَدْ أَعَنْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ.

“About the case of a man who ate clay ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), prohibited and said, ‘Do not eat clay; if you eat clay and die, you have helped to murder yourself.’”

إِنَّ التَّمَنِّيَ‌[1] عَمَلُ الْوَسْوَسَةِ وَ أَكْثَرُ مَصَايِدِ الشَّيْطَانِ أَكْلُ الطِّينِ وَ هُوَ يُورِثُ السُّقْمَ فِي الْجِسْمِ وَ يُهَيِّجُ الدَّاءَ وَ مَنْ أَكَلَ طِيناً فَضَعُفَ عَنْ قُوَّتِهِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْكُلَهُ وَ ضَعُفَ عَنِ الْعَمَلِ الَّذِي كَانَ يَعْمَلُهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْكُلَهُ حُوسِبَ عَلَى مَا بَيْنَ قُوَّتِهِ وَ ضَعْفِهِ وَ عُذِّبَ عَلَيْهِ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Wishing and longing is an act of Satan. Eating clay is of the greater part of the hunting devices of Satan. It causes illness in the body and accelerates pain. If one because of eating clay loses his power that he had before eating clay and fails to work as he did before eating clay he wi

قُلْتُ لَهُ مَا يَرْوِي النَّاسُ فِي أَكْلِ الطِّينِ وَ كَرَاهِيَتِهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا ذَاكَ الْمَبْلُولُ وَ ذَاكَ الْمَدَرُ[2].

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about what people narrate as regards eating clay and that it is undesirable. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is clay and chunks of dirt.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ أَكَلَ الطِّينَ فَمَاتَ فَقَدْ أَعَانَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘If one eats clay and dies he has helped to kill himself.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع عَنِ الطِّينِ فَقَالَ أَكْلُ الطِّينِ حَرَامٌ مِثْلُ الْمَيْتَةِ وَ الدَّمِ وَ لَحْمِ الْخِنْزِيرِ إِلَّا طِينَ قَبْرِ الْحُسَيْنِ ع‌[3] فَإِنَّ فِيهِ شِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ وَ أَمْناً مِنْ كُلِّ خَوْفٍ.

It is unlawful like dead animals, blood, flesh of pigs except the clay from the grave of al-Husayn (a.s.), in which there is cure for all kinds of illness and security from all kinds of fear.”’