Al-Warshan (a kind of Pigeon)

مَنِ اتَّخَذَ فِي بَيْتِهِ‌ طَيْراً فَلْيَتَّخِذْ وَرَشَاناً فَإِنَّهُ أَكْثَرُ شَيْئاً لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أَكْثَرُ تَسْبِيحاً وَ هُوَ طَيْرٌ يُحِبُّنَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’If one likes to keep birds in his house, he must keep Warshan (a kind of pigeon). It speaks of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, most often as well as Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects) and it is a bird that loves us, the Ahl al-Bayt (family of prophet Muhammad (SAW)).’”

اسْتَهْدَانِي إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع طَيْراً مِنْ طُيُورِ الْعِرَاقِ فَأَهْدَيْتُ وَرَشَاناً فَدَخَلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَرَآهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْوَرَشَانَ يَقُولُ بُورِكْتُمْ بُورِكْتُمْ فَأَمْسِكُوهُ.

“’Isma’il, ibn abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once, asked me to give a bird of Iraq as a gift to him. I gave him a Warshan. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), came in. He (the Imam) saw it and said, ‘ Al-Warshan says, ‘You are blessed, you are blessed’, so you must keep it.’”

إِنْ كُنْتَ لَا بُدَّ مُتَّخِذاً فَاتَّخِذْ وَرَشَاناً فَإِنَّهُ كَثِيرُ الذِّكْرِ لِلَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), prohibited his son ’Isma’il from keeping al-Fakhtah (ring pigeon) and said if you must keep a bird, keep Warshan because it speaks of Allah, most Blessed, most High, very often.’”