عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ هَارُونَ عَنْ مُوَفَّقٍ الْمَدِينِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ الْمَاضِي ( عليه السلام ) يَوْماً فَأَجْلَسَنِي لِلْغَدَاءِ فَلَمَّا جَاءُوا بِالْمَائِدَةِ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهَا بَقْلٌ فَأَمْسَكَ يَدَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلْغُلَامِ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنِّي لَا آكُلُ عَلَى مَائِدَةٍ لَيْسَ فِيهَا خُضْرَةٌ فَأْتِنِي بِالْخُضْرَةِ قَالَ فَذَهَبَ الْغُلَامُ فَجَاءَ بِالْبَقْلِ فَأَلْقَاهُ عَلَى الْمَائِدَةِ فَمَدَّ يَدَهُ ( عليه السلام ) حِينَئِذٍ وَ أَكَلَ .

1. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Harun from Muwaffaq al-Madiniy from his father from his grandfather who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, al-Madiy, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, once sent for me and he made me to stay for lunch. When they brought the table-spread with food there were no herbs in it. He (the Imam) held his hand and said to the boy, ’Did you not know that I do not eat until there are green herbs on the table-spread, so bring for me fresh herbs. 5 The boy went, brought fresh herbs and placed it on the table-spread then he (the Imam) extended his hand and ate his lunch.’”

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَنَانٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) عَلَى الْمَائِدَةِ فَمَالَ عَلَى الْبَقْلِ وَ امْتَنَعْتُ أَنَا مِنْهُ لِعِلَّةٍ كَانَتْ بِي فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ يَا حَنَانُ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) لَمْ يُؤْتَ بِطَبَقٍ إِلَّا وَ عَلَيْهِ بَقْلٌ قُلْتُ وَ لِمَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَقَالَ لِأَنَّ قُلُوبَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ خَضِرَةٌ وَ هِيَ تَحِنُّ إِلَى أَشْكَالِهَا .

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hanan who has said the following: “Once I was with abu ‘ Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, on the table-spread of food and he (the Imam) ate fresh herbs but I abstained because of a certain illness. He (the Imam) turned to me and said, ‘O Hanan, did you not know that whenever a package of food was brought to ’Amir al-Mu’minin it neccessarily had herbs in it?’ I then asked, T pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, why did it have to be as such?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because the hearts of the believers are fresh, green and they incline to what is similar to it.’”