Another Chapter on the same Issue

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَصُّوا الْمَاءَ مَصّاً وَ لَا تَعُبُّوهُ عَبّاً فَإِنَّهُ يُوجَدُ مِنْهُ الْكُبَادُ[3].

’Drink water in a sipping manner but do not gulp and pour it down at once; it may cause liver illness.”’

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمَاضِي ع فَنَهَيْتُهُ عَنْ شُرْبِ الْمَاءِ فَقَالَ ع وَ مَا بَأْسٌ بِالْمَاءِ وَ هُوَ يُدِيرُ الطَّعَامَ فِي الْمَعِدَةِ وَ يُسَكِّنُ الْغَضَبَ وَ يَزِيدُ فِي اللُّبِّ وَ يُطْفِئُ الْمِرَارَ.

“I once visited abu al-Hassan, al-Madiy, Alayhi al-Salam, and I prohibited him from drinking water. He (the Imam) said, ‘What is wrong with water when it turns food in the stomach, calms down the anger, increases marrows (learning ability) and removes bitterness?”’

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَدَعَا بِتَمْرٍ فَأَكَلَ وَ أَقْبَلَ يَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهِ الْمَاءَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ لَوْ أَمْسَكْتَ عَنِ الْمَاءِ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا آكُلُ التَّمْرَ لِأَسْتَطِيبَ عَلَيْهِ الْمَاءَ.

“I once was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and he asked for dates which he ate and then he kept drinking water. I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I wish you refrain from drinking water.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘I eat dates only to make water taste more delicious.’”

قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع‌ عَجَباً لِمَنْ أَكَلَ مِثْلَ ذَا وَ أَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ وَ لَمْ يَشْرَبْ عَلَيْهِ الْمَاءَ كَيْفَ لَا تَنْشَقُّ مَعِدَتُهُ.

“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), once said, ‘I wonder about the one who eats ‘this much,’ making a hand gesture, ‘and does not drink any water on it, how is it that his stomach does not burst.’”