Sugar

كَانَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلُ ع كَثِيراً مَا يَأْكُلُ السُّكَّرَ عِنْدَ النَّوْمِ.

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Awwal would eat sugar very often when going to sleep.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ لَئِنْ كَانَ الْجُبُنُّ يَضُرُّ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ وَ لَا يَنْفَعُ فَإِنَّ السُّكَّرَ يَنْفَعُ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ وَ لَا يَضُرُّ مِنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ.

‘If cheese is harmful in all things and does not benefit in anything, sugar on the other hand benefits in all things and does not harm in anything.’”

شَكَا رَجُلٌ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ إِنِّي رَجُلٌ شَاكِي فَقَالَ أَيْنَ هُوَ عَنِ الْمُبَارَكِ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَ مَا الْمُبَارَكُ قَالَ السُّكَّرُ قُلْتُ أَيُّ السُّكَّرِ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ سُلَيْمَانِيُّكُمْ هَذَا.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Azdiy from certain persons of our people in a marfu‘ manner who has said the following: “Once, a man complained before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘I am a complaining man.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘What he needs is al-Mubarak.’ I then

بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنِ الرِّضَا ع قَالَ: السُّكَّرُ الطَّبَرْزَدُ يَأْكُلُ الْبَلْغَمَ أَكْلًا[1].

the sugar which is chipped with a hammer eats away (abolishes) phlegm entirely.’”

شَكَوْتُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الْوَجَعَ فَقَالَ لِي إِذَا أَوَيْتَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ فَكُلْ سُكَّرَتَيْنِ قَالَ فَفَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ فَبَرَأْتُ فَخَبَّرْتُ بَعْضَ الْمُتَطَبِّبِينَ وَ كَانَ أَفْرَهَ أَهْلِ بِلَادِنَا فَقَالَ مِنْ أَيْنَ عَرَفَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع هَذَا هَذَا مِنْ مَخْزُونِ عِلْمِنَا أَمَا إِنَّهُ صَاحِبُ كُتُبٍ فَيَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ أَصَابَهُ فِي بَعْضِ كُتُبِهِ.

“I once complained before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), against pain and he (the Imam) said, ‘When you lie down in your bed eat two pieces of sugar.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I followed the instruction and I became well. I told a physician about it, which was the best in our town. He asked me, ‘How has abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s

لَمَّا تَعَشَّى أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ لِي إِذَا دَخَلْتَ الْخِزَانَةَ فَاطْلُبْ لِي سُكَّرَتَيْنِ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ لَيْسَ ثَمَّ شَيْ‌ءٌ فَقَالَ ادْخُلْ وَيْحَكَ قَالَ فَدَخَلْتُ فَوَجَدْتُ سُكَّرَتَيْنِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِهِمَا.

“After abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), took his dinner, he said, ‘When you go in the storage look for two pieces of sugar for me.’ I said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, there is nothing there.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Go there, fie upon you.’ He has said, ‘I went there and found two pieces of sugar an

شَكَا إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ الْوَبَاءَ فَقَالَ لَهُ وَ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ عَنِ الطَّيِّبِ الْمُبَارَكِ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَ مَا الطَّيِّبُ الْمُبَارَكُ فَقَالَ سُلَيْمَانِيُّكُمْ هَذَا قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ السُّكَّرَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ ع.

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from in a marfu‘ manner who has said the following: “Once, a man complained before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about plague. He (the Imam) said, ‘What you need is the fine and blessed.’ I then asked, ‘What is the fine and blessed?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It i

لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا عِنْدَهُ أَلْفُ دِرْهَمٍ لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُ غَيْرُهَا ثُمَّ اشْتَرَى بِهَا سُكَّراً لَمْ يَكُنْ مُسْرِفاً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a man has one thousand dirham and he does not have anything else with him but he buys sugar with it, he is not considered a spendthrift.””

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لِأَبِي يَا بَشِيرُ بِأَيِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ تُدَاوُونَ مَرْضَاكُمْ فَقَالَ بِهَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةِ الْمِرَارِ فَقَالَ لَهُ لَا إِذَا مَرِضَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَخُذِ السُّكَّرَ الْأَبْيَضَ فَدُقَّهُ وَ صُبَّ عَلَيْهِ الْمَاءَ الْبَارِدَ وَ اسْقِهِ إِيَّاهُ فَإِنَّ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشِّفَاءَ فِي الْمَرَارَةِ قَادِرٌ أَنْ يَجْعَلَهُ فِي الْحَلَاوَةِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said to my father, ‘O Bashir, with what do you treat your people for illnesses?’ he replied, ‘It is those bitter medicines.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘When any of you becomes ill take white sugar, make it into powder, pour cold water on it and make him drink it. The One who has made cure in bitt

السُّكَّرُ الطَّبَرْزَدُ يَأْكُلُ الْبَلْغَمَ أَكْلًا.

“Al-Rida’ (a.s.), has said, ‘The sugar chipped with a small hammer dissolves phlegm entirely.’”

حُمَّ بَعْضُ أَهْلِنَا فَوَصَفَ لَهُ الْمُتَطَبِّبُونَ الْغَافِثَ‌[1] فَسَقَيْنَاهُ فَلَمْ يَنْتَفِعْ بِهِ فَشَكَوْتُ ذَلِكَ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ فِي شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الْمُرِّ شِفَاءً خُذْ سُكَّرَةً[2] وَ نِصْفاً فَصَيِّرْهَا فِي إِنَاءٍ وَ صُبَّ عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ حَتَّى يَغْمُرَهَا وَ ضَعْ عَلَيْهَا حَدِيدَةً وَ نَجِّمْهَا مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِذَا أَصْبَحْتَ فَأَمْرِسْهَا بِيَدِ

“Someone in our family had a fever and physicians had prescribed al-ghafith (a certain herb) and we made the patient to drink it, but it did not benefit him I then complained against it before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and he (the Imam) said, ‘Allah has not placed cure in anything which is bitter (only). Take one or one a