The Meat of Birds

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ الْإِوَزُّ جَامُوسُ الطَّيْرِ وَ الدَّجَاجُ خِنْزِيرُ الطَّيْرِ وَ الدُّرَّاجُ حَبَشُ الطَّيْرِ وَ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ عَنْ فَرْخَيْنِ نَاهِضَيْنِ رَبَّتْهُمَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ رَبِيعَةَ بِفَضْلِ قُوتِهَا[1].

“’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ’Duck is the buffalo of birds, a hen is like the pig in birds and black partridge is the turkey in birds. You should not miss the two fledgling that were brought up by the woman of Rabi’ah with the leftover of her sustenance/”

إِنَّهُ ذُكِرَتِ اللُّحْمَانُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عُمَرَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنَّ أَطْيَبَ اللُّحْمَانِ لَحْمُ الدَّجَاجِ فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع كَلَّا إِنَّ ذَلِكَ خَنَازِيرُ الطَّيْرِ وَ إِنَّ أَطْيَبَ اللُّحْمَانِ لَحْمُ فَرْخٍ قَدْ نَهَضَ أَوْ كَادَ أَنْ يَنْهَضَ.

“Two kinds of meat were mentioned before ‘Umar and ’Umar said, ‘The better of the two kinds of meat is the meat of hen. ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), said, ‘No, it is like pigs in birds and the better of the two kinds of meat is the meat of the chick that has just risen or is about to rise.”’

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَقِلَّ غَيْظُهُ فَلْيَأْكُلْ لَحْمَ الدُّرَّاجِ‌[2].

‘If reducing one’s anger makes him happy he should eat partridge meat.’”

أَطْعِمُوا الْمَحْمُومَ لَحْمَ الْقِبَاجِ‌[3] فَإِنَّهُ يُقَوِّي السَّاقَيْنِ وَ يَطْرُدُ الْحُمَّى طَرْداً.

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Awwal (a.s.), has said, ‘Feed one who is suffering from fever with the meat of al-Qabaj (a kind of partridge) because it strengthens the legs and dispels fever completely.’”

تَغَدَّيْتُ مَعَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَأُتِيَ بِقَطَاةٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ مُبَارَكٌ وَ كَانَ أَبِي ع يُعْجِبُهُ وَ كَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَنْ يُطْعَمَ صَاحِبَ الْيَرَقَانِ يُشْوَى لَهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْفَعُهُ.

“I once had lunch with abu Ja’far (a.s.), and sand grouse was brought. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is blessed; my father liked it and would instruct to feed roasted to one who suffers from jaundice; it benefits him.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلَ ع يَقُولُ‌ لَا أَرَى بِأَكْلِ الْحُبَارَى بَأْساً وَ إِنَّهُ جَيِّدٌ لِلْبَوَاسِيرِ وَ وَجَعِ الظَّهْرِ وَ هُوَ مِمَّا يُعِينُ عَلَى كَثْرَةِ الْجِمَاعِ.

“I once heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘It is not unlawful to eat the meat of al- Habara ’ (bustard). It is good for hemorrhoids and back-pain and it helps increase the ability to go to bed with one’s wife.’”