Eating Pieces of Food that Fall on the Table-spread

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ’Eat what falls off of food, because in it is cure for all kinds of illness by the permission of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, for those who seek cures.’”

“Once I had dinner with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), at ‘Atmah (time of late evening Salat (prayer)). When he (the Imam) ended his dinner, he praised Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and said, ‘This is my (manner of having) dinner and the dinner of my ancestors. When the table-spread was pulled out, he (the Imam) picked pieces of food fallen on it and ate them.’”

“I once complained before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), against lower back pain. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must eat pieces of food that fall on the table-spread.’ I (the narrator) followed the instruction and the pain went away. Ibrahim has said, ‘I then found it on the left and the right side; I did the same thing again and benefited thereby.’”

“Once we ate food with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.). When the table-spread was collected, he (the Imam) picked up the pieces that had fallen on it and ate them then said to us, ‘This removes poverty and increases the number of children.’”

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has stated this Hadith. ‘The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, “If one finds pieces of food and eats them it is one good deed, and if one finds them in unclean places, then washes them, then picks them up, he will have seventy good deeds recorded for him.’””

from ‘Amr ibn Jami’ who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, once entered ‘A’ishah’s home and saw pieces of food on which he was about to step. He (the Messenger of Allah) picked them up and said, ‘O Humayra’ you must honor the company of the bounties of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, with you; from whoever they get farther away they never then return to them.’”

“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said that once a man complained before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), against his lower back pain. He (the Imam) said, ‘Why do you not eat pieces of food that fall on the table-spread/”

“I once heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘If one eats food in his house and pieces of food fall off, he must pick them up and eat; but if one eats food in the wilderness or outdoors he should leave such pieces for the birds and beasts.”’ (See also Ch. 48, h 15)

“Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and he was eating. I saw him searching for pieces of food fallen on the table-spread of the size of sesame seed. I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, are you looking for such pieces?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘O ‘Abd Allah, it is your sustenance; do not leave them, and besides there is cure in them for all kinds of illness.’”