Excellence of Salt

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع يَا عَلِيُّ افْتَتِحْ بِالْمِلْحِ فِي طَعَامِكَ وَ اخْتِمْ بِالْمِلْحِ فَإِنَّهُ مَنِ افْتَتَحَ طَعَامَهُ بِالْمِلْحِ وَ خَتَمَهُ بِالْمِلْحِ دَفَعَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ سَبْعِينَ نَوْعاً مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْبَلَاءِ أَيْسَرُهَا الْجُذَامُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, said to ’Amir al- Mu’minin, ‘O Ali, begin taking food with salt and end it with salt. It dispels seventy kinds of troubles of which the least serious is leprosy.”’

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص لِعَلِيٍّ ع يَا عَلِيُّ افْتَتِحْ طَعَامَكَ بِالْمِلْحِ وَ اخْتِمْ بِالْمِلْحِ فَإِنَّ مَنِ افْتَتَحَ طَعَامَهُ بِالْمِلْحِ وَ خَتَمَ بِالْمِلْحِ عُوفِيَ مِنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَ سَبْعِينَ نَوْعاً مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْبَلَاءِ مِنْهُ الْجُذَامُ وَ الْجُنُونُ وَ الْبَرَصُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, said to ’Amir al- Mu’minin, ‘O Ali, begin taking your food with salt and end it with salt. One who begins taking his food with salt and ends it with salt remains s

إِنَّ فِي الْمِلْحِ شِفَاءً مِنْ سَبْعِينَ دَاءً أَوْ قَالَ سَبْعِينَ نَوْعاً مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْأَوْجَاعِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي الْمِلْحِ مَا تَدَاوَوْا إِلَّا بِهِ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘In salt there is cure for seventy kinds of pains.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Had people known that which is in salt they would not seek treatment for an illness with anything other than salt.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ ابْدَءُوا بِالْمِلْحِ فِي أَوَّلِ طَعَامِكُمْ فَلَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي الْمِلْحِ لَاخْتَارُوهُ عَلَى الدِّرْيَاقِ الْمُجَرَّبِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘You must begin your food with salt. Had people known that which is in salt they would choose it before using the experimented antidote.’”

لَا يُخْصِبُ‌[1] خِوَانٌ لَا مِلْحَ عَلَيْهَا وَ أَصَحُّ لِلْبَدَنِ أَنْ يُبْدَأَ بِهِ فِي أَوَّلِ الطَّعَامِ.

“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘A table-spread with food in it has no blessings without salt. For good health of the body one must begin his food with salt.’”

أَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى مُوسَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ ع أَنْ مُرْ قَوْمَكَ يَفْتَتِحُوا بِالْمِلْحِ وَ يَخْتَتِمُوا بِهِ وَ إِلَّا فَلَا يَلُومُوا إِلَّا أَنْفُسَهُمْ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent revelation to Moses son of ‘Imran (a.s.) to command his people to begin their food with salt and end it with salt, otherwise, they must not blame anyone other than their ownselves.’”

قَالَ لَنَا الرِّضَا ع أَيُّ الْإِدَامِ أَحْرَى‌[2] فَقَالَ بَعْضُنَا اللَّحْمُ وَ قَالَ بَعْضُنَا الزَّيْتُ وَ قَالَ بَعْضُنَا اللَّبَنُ فَقَالَ هُوَ ع لَا بَلِ الْمِلْحُ وَ لَقَدْ خَرَجْنَا إِلَى نُزْهَةٍ لَنَا وَ نَسِيَ بَعْضُ الْغِلْمَانِ الْمِلْحَ فَذَبَحُوا لَنَا شَاةً مِنْ أَسْمَنِ مَا يَكُونُ فَمَا انْتَفَعْنَا بِشَيْ‌ءٍ حَتَّى انْصَرَفْنَا.

“Al-Rida’ (a.s.), once asked us, ‘Which food is of greater preference?’ Certain ones among us said that it is meat, others said that it is oil, yet others said it is milk. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is salt.’ We then went outside for freshness and a certain one of servants forgot salt. They slaughtered a sheep for us

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مَنْ ذَرَّ عَلَى أَوَّلِ لُقْمَةٍ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ الْمِلْحَ ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ بِنَمَشِ الْوَجْهِ‌[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one spreads salt on the first morsel of his food, blemish of skin goes away from his face.’”

إِنَّ الْعَقْرَبَ لَسَعَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص فَقَالَ لَعَنَكِ اللَّهُ فَمَا تُبَالِينَ مُؤْمِناً آذَيْتِ أَمْ كَافِراً ثُمَّ دَعَا بِالْمِلْحِ فَدَلَكَهُ فَهَدَتْ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي الْمِلْحِ مَا بَغَوْا مَعَهُ دِرْيَاقاً[2].

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said that once scorpion bit the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and he (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘May Allah condemn you. You do not distinguish between a believer and unbeliever and do not know whom you ca

لَدَغَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص عَقْرَبٌ فَنَفَضَهَا وَ قَالَ لَعَنَكِ اللَّهُ فَمَا يَسْلَمُ مِنْكِ مُؤْمِنٌ وَ لَا كَافِرٌ ثُمَّ دَعَا بِالْمِلْحِ فَوَضَعَهُ عَلَى مَوْضِعِ اللَّدْغَةِ ثُمَّ عَصَرَهُ بِإِبْهَامِهِ حَتَّى ذَابَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي الْمِلْحِ مَا احْتَاجُوا مَعَهُ إِلَى دِرْيَاقٍ.

“Once, scorpion bit the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He (the Messenger of Allah) then threw it away, saying, ‘May Allah condemn you, both believers and unbelievers are not safe from you.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) then asked for sal