The Lark

Al-Kāfi|Volume 6|Book 3|Chapter 17

Al-Kāfi

Volume 6, Book 3, Chapter 17

The Lark

Hadith #4

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ وَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْهَاشِمِيُّ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ الْجَعْفَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ( عليه السلام ) الْقُنْزُعَةُ الَّتِي عَلَى رَأْسِ الْقُنْبُرَةِ مِنْ مَسْحَةِ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الذَّكَرَ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَسْفَدَ أُنْثَاهُ فَامْتَنَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهَا لَا تَمْتَنِعِي فَمَا أُرِيدُ إِلَّا أَنْ يُخْرِجَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِنِّي نَسَمَةً تُذَكَّرُ بِهِ فَأَجَابَتْهُ إِلَى مَا طَلَبَفَلَمَّا أَرَادَتْ أَنْ تَبِيضَ قَالَ لَهَا أَيْنَ تُرِيدِينَ أَنْ تَبِيضِي فَقَالَتْ لَهُ لَا أَدْرِي أُنَحِّيهِ عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ قَالَ لَهَا إِنِّي خَائِفٌ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بِكِ مَارُّ الطَّرِيقِ وَ لَكِنِّي أَرَى لَكِ أَنْ تَبِيضِي قُرْبَ الطَّرِيقِ فَمَنْ يَرَاكِ قُرْبَهُ تَوَهَّمَ أَنَّكِ تَعْرِضِينَ لِلَقْطِ الْحَبِّ مِنَ الطَّرِيقِ فَأَجَابَتْهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ وَ بَاضَتْ وَ حَضَنَتْ حَتَّى أَشْرَفَتْ عَلَى النِّقَابِفَبَيْنَا هُمَا كَذَلِكَ إِذْ طَلَعَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ ( عليه السلام ) فِي جُنُودِهِ وَ الطَّيْرُ تُظِلُّهُ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ هَذَا سُلَيْمَانُ قَدْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا فِي جُنُودِهِ وَ لَا آمَنُ أَنْ يَحْطِمَنَا وَ يَحْطِمَ بَيْضَنَا فَقَالَ لَهَا إِنَّ سُلَيْمَانَ ( عليه السلام ) لَرَجُلٌ رَحِيمٌ بِنَا فَهَلْ عِنْدَكِ شَيْ‏ءٌ هَيَّئْتِهِ لِفِرَاخِكِ إِذَا نَقَبْنَ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ جَرَادَةٌ خَبَّأْتُهَا مِنْكَ أَنْتَظِرُ بِهَا فِرَاخِي إِذَا نَقَبْنَ فَهَلْ عِنْدَ أَنْتَ شَيْ‏ءٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ عِنْدِي تَمْرَةٌ خَبَّأْتُهَا مِنْكِ لِفِرَاخِيقَالَتْ فَخُذْ أَنْتَ تَمْرَتَكَ وَ آخُذُ أَنَا جَرَادَتِي وَ نَعْرِضُ لِسُلَيْمَانَ ( عليه السلام ) فَنُهْدِيهِمَا لَهُ فَإِنَّهُ رَجُلٌ يُحِبُّ الْهَدِيَّةَ فَأَخَذَ التَّمْرَةَ فِي مِنْقَارِهِ وَ أَخَذَتْ هِيَ الْجَرَادَةَ فِي رِجْلَيْهَا ثُمَّ تَعَرَّضَا لِسُلَيْمَانَ ( عليه السلام ) فَلَمَّا رَآهُمَا وَ هُوَ عَلَى عَرْشِهِ بَسَطَ يَدَيْهِ لَهُمَا فَأَقْبَلَا فَوَقَعَ الذَّكَرُ عَلَى الْيَمِينِ وَ وَقَعَتِ الْأُنْثَى عَلَى الْيَسَارِ وَ سَأَلَهُمَا عَنْ حَالِهِمَا فَأَخْبَرَاهُفَقَبِلَ هَدِيَّتَهُمَا وَ جَنَّبَ جُنْدَهُ عَنْهُمَا وَ عَنْ بَيْضِهِمَا وَ مَسَحَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِمَا وَ دَعَا لَهُمَا بِالْبَرَكَةِ فَحَدَثَتِ الْقُنْزُعَةُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِمَا مِنْ مَسْحَةِ سُلَيْمَانَ ( عليه السلام ) .

4. Muhammad ibn al-Hassan and Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Hashimiy have narrated from certain persons of our people from Sulayman al- Ja‘fariy who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ , has said that Ali ibn al-Husayn, has said, ‘The crest on the head of lark is because of wiping of Solomon ibn David . It happened when the male lark wanted to mount the female (and) she refused. The male said, ‘Do not refuse because I want that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, to give us the offspring because of which you will be remembered.’ The female then agreed. When it was to lay eggs the male asked, ‘Where do you want to lay eggs?’ The female replied, ‘I do not know. Can I lay the eggs away from the road?’ The male said, ‘I am afraid of bypassers, however, I think you should lay eggs near the road and those who see you may think that you are picking grains from the road.’ The female agreed and laid the eggs; then sat on them to hatch until they were about to hatch that Solomon son of David , with his army, while birds forming shadow on him, appeared. The female said, ‘This is Solomon coming to us with his army and I do not feel safe for my eggs being crushed under their feet.’ The male said, ‘Solomon is a kind man. Do you have anything which you may have saved for your baby larks when they are hatched to offer him as present?’ The female replied, ‘Yes, it is a locust that I had hidden from you for the baby larks when they are hatched; but do you have anything for a present?’ The male replied, ‘Yes, it is a date that I had hidden from you for the bay larks.’ The female said, ‘You take your date and I take my locust to present them to Solomon ‘Alayhi al-Salam, he is a man who loves presents. The male took the date in its beak and the female took the locust in its paws and appeared before Solomon. When he saw them he was on his throne. He extended his hands for them. The male sat on his right hand and the female on his left hand. He asked how they were doing and they informed him. He accepted their gift and asked his army to be careful about their eggs. He wiped their heads and prayed for them for blessing. The crest on their head is because of the wiping of Solomon .’”

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi
Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/372)