عمرو بن إبراهيم الهمداني

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘Eating sweet pomegranate increases one’s seed and forms the child well?”

I asked Abu Ja’far (asws) and complained to him (asws) of a weak stomach, so he (asws) said: ‘Drink ‘الْحَزَاءَ’ Al-Haza’a with the cold water’. So I did it, and found what I liked’.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one drinks intoxicating liquor, it is a right on Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, to make him drink from tinah of Khabal.’ I asked, ‘What is it?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is puss from the vagina of fornicators.’”

“Abu Ja’far, or abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, -uncertainty is from Muhammad ibn Musa- has said, ‘Once al-Sadab was mentioned and He (the Imam) said, ‘There are benefits in it. It increases the power of understanding, increases in the brain except that it putrefies one’s back’s water.’ It is narrated that it is very good for ear ache.”

“You should not stand to pray behind three people: an unfamiliar person; someone who ascribes certain boastful attributes to the Divine Leaders, even if he expresses the same beliefs as you do; and one who is corrupt even if he is not boastful about the Divine Leaders.”

“I once heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, about the meaning of the words of Allah, most High, ‘. . .We sent blessed water from the sky.’ (50:9) has said, there is no water on earth with which water of the sky is not mixed.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Growing hairs in the nose and spacious shirt afford immunity from leprosy. Have you not heard a poet’s saying, “You will not see my shirt other than being of wide sides and sleeves?”’

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘They narrated that parting the hairs is of Sunnah. He (the Imam) said, ‘Of the Sunnahl’ I said, ‘They think that the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, parted his hairs.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The Holy Prophet did not part his hairs nor did the Prophets grow their hairs.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said to me, ‘You must not roam around in market places and you must not perform small tasks personally; it is not proper for a Muslim man of good position and religion to buy small things personally, except three kinds of items, in which case a person of good position and religion should personally perform, such as real estate, slaves and camels.’”

“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.’”

“I said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Sometimes I may get two different opinions: one for and the other against what I think to do, what then I should do?’ The Imam said, ‘If such is the case, then perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer) and ask Allah, one hundred and one times, to choose for you what is best. Thereafter choose the matter for which your determination is stronger; the choice is for it, by the will of Allah. Your choice should be based on what is safe; sometimes it is better for a man to see his hand cut off, or his son die or his property gone.”’

“About the case of a man, who borrows one hundred dinars and leaves as al-Rahn (security deposit) jewelries worth one hundred dinars, then comes to al-Rahn (security deposit) holder and asks him to lend him the gold which he has with him. Al-Rahn (security deposit) holder lends it to him and it is destroyed; if he owes anything to the man who has left al-Rahn (security deposit) with him. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is on the one who left al-Rahn (security deposit) because he is the one who destroyed it and al-Rahn (security deposit) holder does not owe anything, not even a grain.’”