Al-Ghaliyah (A Perfume that is a Mix of Musk, Camphor and Ambergris)

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنِّي أُعَامِلُ التُّجَّارَ فَأَتَهَيَّأُ لِلنَّاسِ كَرَاهَةَ أَنْ يَرَوْا بِي خَصَاصَةً فَأَتَّخِذُ الْغَالِيَةَ فَقَالَ يَا إِسْحَاقُ إِنَّ الْقَلِيلَ مِنَ الْغَالِيَةِ يُجْزِئُ وَ كَثِيرَهَا سَوَاءً مَنِ اتَّخَذَ مِنَ الْغَالِيَةِ قَلِيلًا دَائِماً أَجْزَأَهُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ وَ أَنَا أَشْتَرِي مِنْهَا فِي السَّنَةِ بِعَشَرَةِ دَرَاهِمَ فَأَكْتَفِي بِهَا وَ رِيحُهَا ثَابِتٌ ط

“I once said to abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), that I work with the merchants and prepare myself for people because of my dislike for their seeing me as a destitute person; if I can use al-Ghaliyah. He (the Imam) said, ‘O Ishaq, a small amount of it is enough just like a large amount. If one uses a small amount of al-Ghaliyah

أَمَرَنِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع فَعَمِلْتُ لَهُ دُهْناً فِيهِ مِسْكٌ وَ عَنْبَرٌ فَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَكْتُبَ فِي قِرْطَاسٍ- آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ وَ أُمَّ الْكِتَابِ وَ الْمُعَوِّذَتَيْنِ وَ قَوَارِعَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ‌[2] وَ أَجْعَلَهُ بَيْنَ الْغِلَافِ وَ الْقَارُورَةِ فَفَعَلْتُ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ بِهِ فَتَغَلَّفَ بِهِ وَ أَنَا أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ.

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), once commanded me to prepare for him oil mixed with musk and ambergris and write on paper verse 2:255, ’Umm al-Kitab, al-Ma‘udhatayn and al-Qawari’ (verse that crush Satan) from al-Quran; then place it in a cover in a bottle. I did as I was told to do. I then brought it to him (the Imam

خَرَجَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع لَيْلَةً وَ عَلَيْهِ جُبَّةُ خَزٍّ وَ كِسَاءُ خَزٍّ قَدْ غَلَفَ لِحْيَتَهُ بِالْغَالِيَةِ[3] فَقَالُوا فِي هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ فِي هَذِهِ الْهَيْئَةِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَخْطُبَ الْحُورَ الْعِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ. - سَهْلُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ مَوْلًى لِبَنِي هَاشِمٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ مِثْلَهُ.

“One night Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, came out wearing a robe and gown of fur of al- Khazz (garments made of skin or fur of an animal that lives in water), and his beard covered with al- Ghaliyah. They said, ‘At this time and in this make-up!’ He said, ‘I like to propose to al-Hur al-Tn before Allah, most Ma

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الثَّانِي ع مَا تَقُولُ فِي الْمِسْكِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ أَبِي أَمَرَ فَعُمِلَ لَهُ مِسْكٌ فِي بَانٍ‌[4] بِسَبْعِمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ يُخْبِرُهُ أَنَّ النَّاسَ يَعِيبُونَ ذَلِكَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ يَا فَضْلُ‌ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ يُوسُفَ ع وَ هُوَ نَبِيٌّ كَانَ يَلْبَسُ الدِّيبَاجَ مُزَرَّراً بِالذَّهَبِ وَ يَجْلِسُ عَلَى كَرَاسِيِّ الذَّهَبِ وَ لَمْ يَنْقُصْ ذَل

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about musk. He (the Imam) said, ‘My father once commanded to prepare for him musk in frankincense for seven hundred dirham. Fadl ibn Sahl then informed him (the Imam) that people scorn it. He (the Imam) wrote to him saying, ‘O Fadl, did you not know that Yusuf ‘Alayhi al-Salam, a Prophe

إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ ع اسْتَقْبَلَهُ مَوْلًى لَهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ بَارِدَةٍ وَ عَلَيْهِ جُبَّةُ خَزٍّ وَ مِطْرَفُ‌[1] خَزٍّ وَ عِمَامَةُ خَزٍّ وَ هُوَ مُتَغَلِّفٌ بِالْغَالِيَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فِي مِثْلِ هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْهَيْئَةِ إِلَى أَيْنَ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِلَى مَسْجِدِ جَدِّي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص أَخْطُبُ الْحُورَ الْعِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, came face to face with one of his Mawla’ in a cold night wearing a gown, a robe and a turban of al-Khazz (garments made of skin or fur of an animal that lives in water), covered with al-Ghaliyah. He said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in se