Another Chapter; Signs of Edible and Inedible Birds

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْمَأْكُولِ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ وَ الْوَحْشِ فَقَالَ حَرَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص كُلَّ ذِي مِخْلَبٍ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ وَ كُلَّ ذِي نَابٍ مِنَ الْوَحْشِ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ يَقُولُونَ مِنَ السَّبُعِ فَقَالَ لِي يَا سَمَاعَةُ السَّبُعُ كُلُّهُ حَرَامٌ وَ إِنْ كَانَ سَبُعاً لَا نَابَ لَهُ وَ إِنَّمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص هَذَا تَفْصِيلًا وَ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ رَسُولُهُ ص

The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, prohibited using for food of every bird that has claws and beast that has canine teeth.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘O Sama‘ah, all beasts are inedible; even if it is a beast that does not have canine teeth.

قُلْتُ لَهُ الطَّيْرُ مَا يُؤْكَلُ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ لَا يُؤْكَلُ مِنْهُ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about what is edible of birds. He (the Imam) said, ‘None of them is edible unless it has a craw.”’

وَ اللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ مِثْلَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَطُّ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنِّي سَأَلْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ مَا يُؤْكَلُ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ فَقَالَ كُلْ مَا دَفَّ وَ لَا تَأْكُلْ مَا صَفَّ قُلْتُ الْبَيْضُ فِي الْآجَامِ فَقَالَ مَا اسْتَوَى طَرَفَاهُ‌[1] فَلَا تَأْكُلْهُ وَ مَا اخْتَلَفَ طَرَفَاهُ فَكُلْ قُلْتُ فَطَيْرُ الْمَاءِ قَالَ مَا كَانَتْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ فَكُلْ وَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ فَلَا تَأْكُلْ.

“I swear by Allah that I have never seen anyone like abu Ja‘far, Alayhi al-Salam. I once, said to him (the Imam), ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well, what is edible of birds?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You can use for food all that flap their wings in flight, and do not eat what keeps its wings straight in flight.’ I then as

كُلْ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ مَا كَانَتْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ وَ لَا مِخْلَبَ لَهُ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ طَيْرِ الْمَاءِ فَقَالَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Of birds you can eat that which has gizzard and no claws.’ I then asked about birds in water and he (the Imam) said a similar thing.’”

كُلْ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ مَا كَانَتْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ أَوْ صِيصِيَةٌ أَوْ حَوْصَلَةٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Of birds you can eat whatever has gizzard or spur of the rooster or craws.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنِّي أَكُونُ فِي الْآجَامِ فَيَخْتَلِفُ عَلَيَّ الطَّيْرُ فَمَا آكُلُ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ كُلْ مَا دَفَّ وَ لَا تَأْكُلْ مَا صَفَّ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي أُوتَى بِهِ مَذْبُوحاً فَقَالَ كُلْ مَا كَانَتْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about birds that I find in wilderness and about which is edible. He (the Imam) said, ‘All birds that flap their wings in flight are edible and all birds that keep their wings straight in flight are not edible.’ ‘What happens if they are brought to me already slaughtered?’