Signs of Edible and Inedible Eggs

إِذَا دَخَلْتَ أَجَمَةً فَوَجَدْتَ بَيْضاً فَلَا تَأْكُلْ مِنْهُ إِلَّا مَا اخْتَلَفَ طَرَفَاهُ.

’Do not eat unless the shape of its both ends is different.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع الْبَيْضُ فِي الْآجَامِ فَقَالَ مَا اسْتَوَى طَرَفَاهُ فَلَا تَأْكُلْ وَ مَا اخْتَلَفَ طَرَفَاهُ فَكُلْ.

‘Do not eat whatever has its both ends of the same shape and eat that which has the ends of different shapes.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ يَعْنِي أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ يَدْخُلُ الْأَجَمَةَ فَيَجِدُ فِيهَا بَيْضاً مُخْتَلِفاً لَا يَدْرِي بَيْضُ مَا هُوَ أَ بَيْضُ مَا يُكْرَهُ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ أَوْ يُسْتَحَبُّ فَقَالَ إِنَّ فِيهِ عَلَماً لَا يَخْفَى انْظُرْ إِلَى كُلِّ بَيْضَةٍ تَعْرِفُ رَأْسَهَا مِنْ أَسْفَلِهَا فَكُلْ وَ مَا يَسْتَوِي فِي ذَلِكَ فَدَعْهُ‌[1].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who enters the wilderness and finds different eggs which he does not know from what kind of birds they are; if it is of birds that are undesirable or of the desirable ones. He (the Imam) said, ‘There is knowledge in it which is not unclear. If you look at eac

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ كُلْ مِنَ الْبَيْضِ مَا لَمْ يَسْتَوِ رَأْسَاهُ وَ قَالَ مَا كَانَ مِنْ بَيْضِ طَيْرِ الْمَاءِ مِثْلَ بَيْضِ الدَّجَاجِ وَ عَلَى خِلْقَتِهِ أَحَدُ رَأْسَيْهِ مُفَرْطَحٌ وَ إِلَّا فَلَا تَأْكُلْ.

‘If both ends of an egg are not of the same shape you then can use it for food.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is of the eggs of the birds of water like the eggs of chicken with one end wider, otherwise, do not use it for food.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنِّي أَكُونُ فِي الْآجَامِ فَيَخْتَلِفُ عَلَيَّ الْبَيْضُ فَمَا آكُلُ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ كُلْ مِنْهُ مَا اخْتَلَفَ طَرَفَاهُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the eggs that I may find in the wilderness and about which ones are edible. He (the Imam) said, ‘Eat whatever is of different shapes at both ends.’”