The Viola Oil

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Viola oil is the master of your oils.’”

“I once sent a mule as a gift to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), but (on the way) it made the driver to fall off. I then decided to visit him (the Imam) and when we were in al-Madinah, we informed abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about it. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must make him (the driver) to sniff viola. He sniffed viola and recovered. He (the Imam) said, ‘O ‘Uqbah, viola is of cool condition in summer and warm in winter. It is soft to our followers and dry to our enemies. If people had known what is in viola, every Awqiyah (a certain measurement) would cost one dinar.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The excellence of viola oil over other oils is like the excellence of Islam over other religions. Viola is very good; it banishes the pain from the head and eyes, so you must apply it.’”

“Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when Mehzam came to visit him (the Imam) and abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to me, ‘Call the slave-girl to bring for us oil.’ I called her, she brought a bottle of viola, and it was a cold day. Mehzam poured a certain amount on his palm, then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, this is viola and the day is very cold.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What about it, O Mehzam?’ He replied, ‘Our physicians in al-Kufah think that viola is of cold nature.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is cool in summer and it is soft and warm in winter.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Viola oil calms down the condition of the brain/”

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘Applying viola oil to one’s eyebrows dispels headaches.’”