Sawiq of Lintels

سَوِيقُ الْعَدَسِ يَقْطَعُ الْعَطَشَ وَ يُقَوِّي الْمَعِدَةَ وَ فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ دَاءً وَ يُطْفِئُ الصَّفْرَاءَ وَ يُبَرِّدُ الْجَوْفَ وَ كَانَ إِذَا سَافَرَ ع لَا يُفَارِقُهُ وَ كَانَ يَقُولُ ع إِذَا هَاجَ الدَّمُ بِأَحَدٍ مِنْ حَشَمِهِ‌[2] قَالَ لَهُ اشْرَبْ مِنْ سَوِيقِ الْعَدَسِ فَإِنَّهُ يُسَكِّنُ هَيَجَانَ الدَّمِ وَ يُطْفِئُ الْحَرَارَةَ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, sawiq of lintels calms down thirst, makes the stomach strong and there is cure for seventy illnesses in it. It abolishes yellowish fluid and gives coolness to the stomach. He (the Imam) would not travel without it. He (the Imam) said that when blood becomes excited with any of one’s a

إِنَّ جَارِيَةً لَنَا أَصَابَهَا الْحَيْضُ وَ كَانَ لَا يَنْقَطِعُ عَنْهَا حَتَّى أَشْرَفَتْ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ فَأَمَرَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع أَنْ تُسْقَى سَوِيقَ الْعَدَسِ فَسُقِيَتْ فَانْقَطَعَ عَنْهَا وَ عُوفِيَتْ.

“We had a girl whose Hayd (menses) would not stop and she was about to die. Abu Ja’far (a.s.), instructed to make her drink sawiq of lintels. She used the drink, the bleeding stopped and she was cured.’”

بَعَثَ إِلَيْنَا الرِّضَا ع وَ هُوَ عِنْدَنَا يَطْلُبُ السَّوِيقَ فَبَعَثْنَا إِلَيْهِ بِسَوِيقٍ مَلْتُوتٍ‌[3] فَرَدَّهُ وَ بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّ السَّوِيقَ إِذَا شُرِبَ عَلَى الرِّيقِ وَ هُوَ جَافٌّ أَطْفَأَ الْحَرَارَةَ وَ سَكَّنَ الْمِرَّةَ وَ إِذَا لُتَّ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ‌[1].

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), once sent to us someone asking for sawiq and we sent to him (the Imam) sawiq mixed with ghee or oil. He (the Imam) returned it saying, ‘If one takes dry sawiq before breakfast it dispels temperature, calms down bitterness but when it is mixed it then does not have that effect.’”