Roast, al-Kabab and Heads

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع وَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ شِوَاءٌ فَقَالَ لِي ادْنُ فَكُلْ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ هَذَا لِي ضَارٌّ فَقَالَ لِي ادْنُ أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ لَا يَضُرُّكَ مَعَهُنَّ شَيْ‌ءٌ مِمَّا تَخَافُ قُلْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَيْرِ الْأَسْمَاءِ مِلْ‌ءَ الْأَرْضِ وَ السَّمَاءِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الَّذِي لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ لَا دَاءٌ تَغَدَّ مَعَنَا.

‘In the name of Allah, the best of names, to the fill of the earth and sky, the Beneficent, the Merciful, the one with whose name not even one thing and illness harms.’ Now you can have lunch with us.’”

اشْتَكَيْتُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ شَكَاةً ضَعُفْتُ مَعَهَا فَأَتَيْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع فَقَالَ لِي أَرَاكَ ضَعِيفاً قُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ لِي كُلِ الْكَبَابَ فَأَكَلْتُهُ فَبَرَأْتُ.

“I once in al-Madinah became very weak and visited abu al-Hassan (a.s.). He (the Imam) said, ‘I can see you are very weak.’ I replied, ‘Yes, I feel weak.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Eat kabab .’ I then ate kabab and I was cured.’”

قَالَ لِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ يَعْنِي الْأَوَّلَ ع مَا لِي أَرَاكَ مُصْفَرّاً فَقُلْتُ لَهُ وَعْكٌ‌[1] أَصَابَنِي فَقَالَ لِي كُلِ اللَّحْمَ فَأَكَلْتُهُ ثُمَّ رَآنِي بَعْدَ جُمْعَةٍ وَ أَنَا عَلَى حَالِي مُصْفَرّاً فَقَالَ لِي أَ لَمْ آمُرْكَ بِأَكْلِ اللَّحْمِ قُلْتُ مَا أَكَلْتُ غَيْرَهُ مُنْذُ أَمَرْتَنِي فَقَالَ وَ كَيْفَ تَأْكُلُهُ قُلْتُ طَبِيخاً فَقَالَ لَا كُلْهُ كَبَاباً فَأَكَلْتُهُ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ فَدَ

“Once abu al-Hassan, al- Awwal asked me, ‘Why do you look pale?’ I replied, ‘I suffer from a certain pain.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Eat meat.’ I ate meat and the next Friday he (the Imam) saw me as pale as before and said, ‘Did I not tell you to eat meat?’ I replied, ‘Yes, I have not eaten anything other than meat from th

أَكْلُ الْكَبَابِ يَذْهَبُ بِالْحُمَّى.

“One of the two Imam, (Abu Ja‘far or Abu ‘Abd Allah) (a.s.) has said, eating kabab dispels fever.’”

ذَكَرْنَا الرُّءُوسَ مِنَ الشَّاةِ فَقَالَ الرَّأْسُ مَوْضِعُ الذَّكَاةِ وَ أَقْرَبُ مِنَ الْمَرْعَى وَ أَبْعَدُ مِنَ الْأَذَى.

‘The head is the place of slaughtering (intelligence), close to means for grazing and far from harms.’”