Al-Kāfi - Volume 6 > Excellence of Salt
Hadith #1

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) يَا عَلِيُّ افْتَتِحْ بِالْمِلْحِ فِي طَعَامِكَ وَ اخْتِمْ بِالْمِلْحِ فَإِنَّهُ مَنِ افْتَتَحَ طَعَامَهُ بِالْمِلْحِ وَ خَتَمَهُ بِالْمِلْحِ دَفَعَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ سَبْعِينَ نَوْعاً مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْبَلَاءِ أَيْسَرُهَا الْجُذَامُ .

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from ibn Bukayr from Zurarah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, said to ’Amir al- Mu’minin, ‘O Ali, begin taking food with salt and end it with salt. It dispels seventy kinds of troubles of which the least serious is leprosy.”’



Hadith #2

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) لِعَلِيٍّ ( عليه السلام ) يَا عَلِيُّ افْتَتِحْ طَعَامَكَ بِالْمِلْحِ وَ اخْتِمْ بِالْمِلْحِ فَإِنَّ مَنِ افْتَتَحَ طَعَامَهُ بِالْمِلْحِ وَ خَتَمَ بِالْمِلْحِ عُوفِيَ مِنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَ سَبْعِينَ نَوْعاً مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْبَلَاءِ مِنْهُ الْجُذَامُ وَ الْجُنُونُ وَ الْبَرَصُ .

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Um ay r from Hisham ibn Salim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, said to ’Amir al- Mu’minin, ‘O Ali, begin taking your food with salt and end it with salt. One who begins taking his food with salt and ends it with salt remains safe from seventy-two kinds of troubles of which is leprosy, insanity and albinism.’”



Hadith #3

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مَرَّارٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ سَعْدٍ الْإِسْكَافِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ إِنَّ فِي الْمِلْحِ شِفَاءً مِنْ سَبْعِينَ دَاءً أَوْ قَالَ سَبْعِينَ نَوْعاً مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْأَوْجَاعِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي الْمِلْحِ مَا تَدَاوَوْا إِلَّا بِهِ .

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ’Isma‘il ibn Marrar from Yunus from a man from Sa‘d al-Iskaf who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘In salt there is cure for seventy kinds of pains.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Had people known that which is in salt they would not seek treatment for an illness with anything other than salt.’”



Hadith #4

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ جَدِّهِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) ابْدَءُوا بِالْمِلْحِ فِي أَوَّلِ طَعَامِكُمْ فَلَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي الْمِلْحِ لَاخْتَارُوهُ عَلَى الدِّرْيَاقِ الْمُجَرَّبِ .

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hassan ibn Rashid from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘You must begin your food with salt. Had people known that which is in salt they would choose it before using the experimented antidote.’”



Hadith #5

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنِ الْجَعْفَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ لَا يُخْصِبُ خِوَانٌ لَا مِلْحَ عَلَيْهَا وَ أَصَحُّ لِلْبَدَنِ أَنْ يُبْدَأَ بِهِ فِي أَوَّلِ الطَّعَامِ .

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Bakr ibn Salih from al-Ja‘fariy who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘A table-spread with food in it has no blessings without salt. For good health of the body one must begin his food with salt.’”



Hadith #6

حُمَيْدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ الْمِيثَمِيِّ عَنْ سُكَيْنِ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ فُضَيْلٍ الرَّسَّانِ عَنْ فَرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ أَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى مُوسَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ ( عليه السلام ) أَنْ مُرْ قَوْمَكَ يَفْتَتِحُوا بِالْمِلْحِ وَ يَخْتَتِمُوا بِهِ وَ إِلَّا فَلَا يَلُومُوا إِلَّا أَنْفُسَهُمْ .

6. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Sama‘ah from Ahmad ibn al-Hassan al-Mithamiy from Sukayn ibn ‘Ammar from Fudayl al-Rassan from Farwah who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent revelation to Moses son of ‘Imran, ‘Alayhi al-Salam to command his people to begin their food with salt and end it with salt, otherwise, they must not blame anyone other than their ownselves.’”



Hadith #7

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَبِي مَحْمُودٍ قَالَ قَالَ لَنَا الرِّضَا ( عليه السلام ) أَيُّ الْإِدَامِ أَحْرَى فَقَالَ بَعْضُنَا اللَّحْمُ وَ قَالَ بَعْضُنَا الزَّيْتُ وَ قَالَ بَعْضُنَا اللَّبَنُ فَقَالَ هُوَ ( عليه السلام ) لَا بَلِ الْمِلْحُ وَ لَقَدْ خَرَجْنَا إِلَى نُزْهَةٍ لَنَا وَ نَسِيَ بَعْضُ الْغِلْمَانِ الْمِلْحَ فَذَبَحُوا لَنَا شَاةً مِنْ أَسْمَنِ مَا يَكُونُ فَمَا انْتَفَعْنَا بِشَيْ‏ءٍ حَتَّى انْصَرَفْنَا .

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ibrahim ibn abu Mahmud who has said the following: “Al-Rida’, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, once asked us, ‘Which food is of greater preference?’ Certain ones among us said that it is meat, others said that it is oil, yet others said it is milk. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is salt.’ We then went outside for freshness and a certain one of servants forgot salt. They slaughtered a sheep for us which was the most fat one and we could not benefit thereof anything until we returned back.’”



Hadith #8

عَنْهُ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) مَنْ ذَرَّ عَلَى أَوَّلِ لُقْمَةٍ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ الْمِلْحَ ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ بِنَمَشِ الْوَجْهِ .

8. It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Ya’qub ibn Yazid in a marfu’ manner who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘If one spreads salt on the first morsel of his food, blemish of skin goes away from his face.’”



Hadith #9

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْخَزَّازِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ إِنَّ الْعَقْرَبَ لَسَعَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) فَقَالَ لَعَنَكِ اللَّهُ فَمَا تُبَالِينَ مُؤْمِناً آذَيْتِ أَمْ كَافِراً ثُمَّ دَعَا بِالْمِلْحِ فَدَلَكَهُ فَهَدَتْثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي الْمِلْحِ مَا بَغَوْا مَعَهُ دِرْيَاقاً .

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “He (the Imam), ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that once scorpion bit the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and he (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘May Allah condemn you. You do not distinguish between a believer and unbeliever and do not know whom you can hurt’. He (the Messenger of Allah) then asked for salt and rubbed it on the bitten place and it calmed down. Abu Ja’far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, then said, ‘Had people known that which is in salt they would not seek another antidote.’”



Hadith #10

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَ عَمْرِو بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ جَمِيعاً عَنْ خَلَفِ بْنِ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ لَدَغَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) عَقْرَبٌ فَنَفَضَهَا وَ قَالَ لَعَنَكِ اللَّهُ فَمَا يَسْلَمُ مِنْكِ مُؤْمِنٌ وَ لَا كَافِرٌ ثُمَّ دَعَا بِالْمِلْحِ فَوَضَعَهُ عَلَى مَوْضِعِ اللَّدْغَةِ ثُمَّ عَصَرَهُ بِإِبْهَامِهِ حَتَّى ذَابَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي الْمِلْحِ مَا احْتَاجُوا مَعَهُ إِلَى دِرْيَاقٍ .

10. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father and ‘Amr ibn Ibrahim all from Khalaf ibn Hammad from Ya’qub ibn Shu’ayb who has said the following: “Once, scorpion bit the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He (the Messenger of Allah) then threw it away, saying, ‘May Allah condemn you, both believers and unbelievers are not safe from you.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) then asked for salt, placed it on the bitten place and squeezed it with his thumb until it melted and then said, ‘Had people known that which is in salt, they would not need to seek any other antidote.’”