The Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean)

كَانَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع يَأْكُلُ الْحِمَّصَ الْمَطْبُوخَ قَبْلَ الطَّعَامِ وَ بَعْدَهُ.

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), would eat cooked chickpeas before and after food.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ النَّاسَ يَرْوُونَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ص قَالَ إِنَّ الْعَدَسَ بَارَكَ عَلَيْهِ سَبْعُونَ نَبِيّاً فَقَالَ هُوَ الَّذِي يُسَمُّونَهُ عِنْدَكُمُ الْحِمَّصَ وَ نَحْنُ نُسَمِّيهِ الْعَدَسَ.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘People narrate that the Holy Prophet has said, “Seventy Prophets have blessed chickpeas.’” He (the Imam) said, ‘This is what you call chickpeas but we call it lintels.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى لَمَّا عَافَى أَيُّوبَ ع نَظَرَ إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ قَدِ ازْدَرَعَتْ‌[1] فَرَفَعَ طَرْفَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَ قَالَ إِلَهِي وَ سَيِّدِي عَبْدُكَ أَيُّوبُ الْمُبْتَلَى عَافَيْتَهُ وَ لَمْ يَزْدَرِعْ شَيْئاً وَ هَذَا لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ زَرْعٌ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَيْهِ يَا أَيُّوبُ خُذْ مِنْ سُبْحَتِكَ كَفّاً فَابْذُرْهُ

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from his father from fadalah from Rifa‘ah who has said the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘When Allah, most Blessed, most High, granted good health to Ayyub (a.s.), he looked to the Israelites who had their plantations.

الْحِمَّصُ جَيِّدٌ لِوَجَعِ الظَّهْرِ وَ كَانَ يَدْعُو بِهِ قَبْلَ الطَّعَامِ وَ بَعْدَهُ.

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), has said, ‘Chickpeas are good cures for back pain and he (the Imam) would ask for it before and after food.’”