The Viola Oil

قَالَ الْبَنَفْسَجُ سَيِّدُ أَدْهَانِكُمْ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Viola oil is the master of your oils.’”

أَهْدَيْتُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع بَغْلَةً فَصَرَعَتِ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتُ بِهَا مَعَهُ فَأَمَّتْهُ‌[1] فَدَخَلْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ فَأَخْبَرْنَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ أَ فَلَا أَسْعَطْتُمُوهُ بَنَفْسَجاً فَأُسْعِطَ بِالْبَنَفْسَجِ فَبَرَأَ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا عُقْبَةُ إِنَّ الْبَنَفْسَجَ بَارِدٌ فِي الصَّيْفِ حَارٌّ فِي الشِّتَاءِ لَيِّنٌ عَلَى شِيعَتِنَا يَابِسٌ عَلَى عَدُوِّنَا لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي

“I once sent a mule as a gift to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), but (on the way) it made the driver to fall off. I then decided to visit him (the Imam) and when we were in al-Madinah, we informed abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about it. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must make him (the driver) to sniff viola. He sniffed viola and recovered.

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مَا يَأْتِينَا مِنْ نَاحِيَتِكُمْ شَيْ‌ءٌ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْنَا مِنَ الْبَنَفْسَجِ.

‘From your area no other thing comes more likable to us than viola.’”

مَثَلُ الْبَنَفْسَجِ فِي الْأَدْهَانِ مَثَلُنَا فِي النَّاسِ.

‘The likeness of voila oil among oils is like us among other people.’”

فَضْلُ الْبَنَفْسَجِ عَلَى الْأَدْهَانِ كَفَضْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ عَلَى الْأَدْيَانِ نِعْمَ الدُّهْنُ الْبَنَفْسَجُ لَيَذْهَبُ بِالدَّاءِ مِنَ الرَّأْسِ وَ الْعَيْنَيْنِ فَادَّهِنُوا بِهِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The excellence of viola oil over other oils is like the excellence of Islam over other religions. Viola is very good; it banishes the pain from the head and eyes, so you must apply it.’”

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ مِهْزَمٌ فَقَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع ادْعُ لَنَا الْجَارِيَةَ تَجِئْنَا بِدُهْنٍ وَ كُحْلٍ فَدَعَوْتُ بِهَا فَجَاءَتْ بِقَارُورَةِ بَنَفْسَجٍ وَ كَانَ يَوْماً شَدِيدَ الْبَرْدِ فَصَبَّ مِهْزَمٌ فِي رَاحَتِهِ مِنْهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَذَا بَنَفْسَجٌ وَ هَذَا الْبَرْدُ الشَّدِيدُ فَقَالَ وَ مَا بَالُهُ يَا مِهْزَمُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ مُتَطَبِّبِينَا

“Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when Mehzam came to visit him (the Imam) and abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to me, ‘Call the slave-girl to bring for us oil.’ I called her, she brought a bottle of viola, and it was a cold day. Mehzam poured a certain amount on his palm, then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul i

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ اسْتَعِطُوا بِالْبَنَفْسَجِ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي الْبَنَفْسَجِ لَحَسَوْهُ حَسْواً[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘You must try to sniff viola; the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, “Had people known about what is in viola they would drink and slurp it.’””

دُهْنُ الْبَنَفْسَجِ يَرْزُنُ الدِّمَاغَ‌[2].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Viola oil calms down the condition of the brain/”

دَهْنُ الْحَاجِبَيْنِ بِالْبَنَفْسَجِ يَذْهَبُ بِالصُّدَاعِ.

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘Applying viola oil to one’s eyebrows dispels headaches.’”

مَثَلُ الْبَنَفْسَجِ فِي الدُّهْنِ كَمَثَلِ شِيعَتِنَا فِي النَّاسِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The likeness of viola oil among the oils is like our followers among the people.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ اكْسِرُوا حَرَّ الْحُمَّى بِالْبَنَفْسَجِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘Curb the heat of fever with viola oil.’”