Applying Lime Paste

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ النُّورَةُ طَهُورٌ.

“Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) said, 'Lime is a cleansing (agent).'”

دَخَلْتُ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الْحَمَّامَ فَقَالَ لِي يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ اطَّلِ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّمَا اطَّلَيْتُ مُنْذُ أَيَّامٍ فَقَالَ اطَّلِ فَإِنَّهَا طَهُورٌ.

“Once I went to a bathhouse with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.). He (the Imam) said, ‘O ‘Abd al- Rahman, you should apply lime.’ I said, ‘I had applied sometimes ago.’ He (the Imam) said, ’Apply it again; it is cleansing.’”

دَخَلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الْحَمَّامَ وَ أَنَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَخْرُجَ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَ لَا تَطَّلِي فَقُلْتُ عَهْدِي بِهِ مُنْذُ أَيَّامٍ فَقَالَ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّهَا طَهُورٌ.

3. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from ibn Faddal from Ali ibn ‘Uqbah from abu Kahmas from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn who has said the following: “Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), entered a bathhouse when I was coming out. He (the Imam) said, ‘O Muhammad, do you like to apply (lime)?’ I replied, ‘Just a

بَعَثَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع ابْنَ أَخِيهِ فِي حَاجَةٍ فَجَاءَ وَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَدِ اطَّلَى بِالنُّورَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع اطَّلِ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا عَهْدِي بِالنُّورَةِ مُنْذُ ثَلَاثٍ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ النُّورَةَ طَهُورٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once sent the son of his brother for something he needed. He returned when abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), had applied lime paste. He (the Imam) said, ‘Apply lime paste.’ He said, ‘Only three days ago I had applied it.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘Applying lime is purifying.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع يَقُولُ‌ أَلْقُوا عَنْكُمُ الشَّعْرَ فَإِنَّهُ يُحَسِّنُ.

“I once heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘Remove hairs from yourselves; it beautifies.’”

كُنْتُ مَعَهُ أَقُودُهُ فَأَدْخَلْتُهُ الْحَمَّامَ فَرَأَيْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَتَنَوَّرُ- فَدَنَا مِنْهُ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا بَصِيرٍ تَنَوَّرْ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا تَنَوَّرْتُ أَوَّلَ مِنْ أَمْسِ وَ الْيَوْمَ الثَّالِثَ فَقَالَ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّهَا طَهُورٌ فَتَنَوَّرْ.

“I once led abu Basir to a bathhouse and I saw abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), apply lime. Abu Basir went close to him (the Imam) and offered greeting of peace. He (the Imam) asked, ‘O abu Basir, do you like to apply lime paste?’ He replied, ‘Only three days ago I had applied it.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Do you know that it is pur

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ النُّورَةُ نُشْرَةٌ وَ طَهُورٌ لِلْجَسَدِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘Applying lime paste is a protective charm and purification (for the body).”’

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ أُحِبُّ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ أَنْ يَطَّلِيَ فِي كُلِّ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْماً.

Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘I like for the believers to apply (lime) paste after every fifteen days.”’

السُّنَّةُ فِي النُّورَةِ فِي كُلِّ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْماً فَإِنْ أَتَتْ عَلَيْكَ عِشْرُونَ يَوْماً وَ لَيْسَ عِنْدَكَ فَاسْتَقْرِضْ عَلَى اللَّهِ‌[2].

‘The Sunnah about lime paste is to apply it after every fifteen days. If it becomes twenty days but you do not have it, you must borrow on the account of Allah.’”

قِيلَ لَهُ يَزْعُمُ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ أَنَّ النُّورَةَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ مَكْرُوهَةٌ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ حَيْثُ ذَهَبْتَ أَيُّ طَهُورٍ أَطْهَرُ مِنَ النُّورَةِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ.

“Once it was said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that certain people think applying lime paste on Friday is detestable. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not as they think. Which cleansing agent is more cleansing than lime on Friday?”’

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ كانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَ الْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلَا يَتْرُكْ عَانَتَهُ فَوْقَ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْماً وَ لَا يَحِلُّ لِامْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَ الْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَنْ تَدَعَ ذَلِكَ مِنْهَا فَوْقَ عِشْرِينَ يَوْماً.

“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, has said, ‘One who believes in Allah and in the Day of Judgment, must not keep his pubic hairs for more than forty days. It is not lawful for a woman who believes

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ طَلْيَةٌ فِي الصَّيْفِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ عَشْرٍ فِي الشِّتَاءِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Applying (lime paste) once in summer is better than applying it ten times in winter.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مَنْ أَرَادَ الِاطِّلَاءَ بِالنُّورَةِ فَأَخَذَ مِنَ النُّورَةِ بِإِصْبَعِهِ فَشَمَّهُ وَ جَعَلَ عَلَى طَرَفِ أَنْفِهِ وَ قَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى‌ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ كَمَا أَمَرَنَا بِالنُّورَةِ لَمْ تُحْرِقْهُ النُّورَةُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one wants to apply lime paste, he must take from it with his finger, smell it, place it on the tip of his nose and say, ‘O Allah, grant favors to Sulayman ibn Dawud who taught us applying lime paste’ the lime will not burn him.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يَطْلِي الْعَانَةَ وَ مَا تَحْتَ الْأَلْيَتَيْنِ فِي كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ.

the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, would apply lime paste to the pubic region and under the rump every Friday.’”

إِذَا اطَّلَى بِالنُّورَةِ- اللَّهُمَّ طَيِّبْ مَا طَهُرَ مِنِّي وَ طَهِّرْ مَا طَابَ مِنِّي وَ أَبْدِلْنِي شَعْراً طَاهِراً لَا يَعْصِيكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي تَطَهَّرْتُ ابْتِغَاءَ سُنَّةِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَ ابْتِغَاءَ رِضْوَانِكَ وَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ فَحَرِّمْ شَعْرِي وَ بَشَرِي عَلَى النَّارِ وَ طَهِّرْ خَلْقِي وَ طَيِّبْ خُلُقِي وَ زَكِّ عَمَلِي وَ اجْعَلْنِي مِمَّنْ يَلْقَاكَ عَلَى الْحَنِيفِيَّةِ السَّمْحَةِ مِلَّةِ إِ

“I once heard Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, saying, ‘When applying lime paste one should say, “O Lord, make pleasant what it has cleansed of me and cleanse what it has made pleasant of me. Replace it with clean hairs, which will not disobey You. O Lord, I have cleansed and sought to follow the Sunnah of the mes