It was also stated that one must avoid food of doubtful provenance. The reply concerned how to deal with such food when it has come into someone’s possession unintentionally.
أما بعد یا ابن حنیف فقد بلغنی أن رجلا من فتیه أهل البصره دعاک إلى مأدبه فأسرعت إلیها تستطاب لک الألوان و تنقل إلیک الجفان و ما ظننت أنک تجیب إلى طعام قوم عائلهم مجفو و غنیهم مدعو فانظر إلى ما تقضمه
من هذا المقضم فما اشتبه علیک علمه فالفظه و ما أیقنت بطیب [وجهه] وجوهه فنل منه ألا و إن لکل مأموم إماما یقتدی به و یستضیء بنور علمه ألا و إن إمامکم قد اکتفى من دنیاه بطمریه و من طعمه بقرصیه ألا و إنکم لا تقدرون على ذلک و لکن أعینونی بورع و اجتهاد و عفه و سداد فوالله ما کنزت من دنیاکم تبرا و لا ادخرت من غنائمها وفرا و لا أعددت لبالی ثوبی طمرا و لا حزت من أرضها شبرا و لا أخذت منه إلا کقوت أتان دبره و لهی فی عینی أوهى و أوهن من عفصه مقره بلى کانت فی أیدینا فدک من کل ما أظلته السماء فشحت علیها نفوس قوم و سخت عنها نفوس قوم آخرین و نعم الحکم الله و ما أصنع بفدک و غیر فدک و النفس مظانها فی غد جدث تنقطع فی ظلمته آثارها و تغیب أخبارها و حفره لو زید فی فسحتها و أوسعت یدا حافرها لأضغطها الحجر و المدر و سد فرجها التراب المتراکم و إنما هی نفسی أروضها بالتقوى لتأتی آمنه یوم الخوف الأکبر و تثبت على جوانب المزلق و لو شئت لاهتدیت الطریق إلى مصفى هذا
العسل و لباب هذا القمح و نسائج هذا القز و لکن هیهات أن یغلبنی هوای و یقودنی جشعی إلى تخیر الأطعمه و لعل بالحجاز أو الیمامه من لا طمع له فی القرص و لا عهد له بالشبع أو أبیت مبطانا و حولی بطون غرثى و أکباد حرى أو أکون کما قال القائل-
و حسبک [عارا] داء أن تبیت ببطنه و حولک أکباد تحن إلى القد
Nahj al-Balagha (ed. Sobhi al-Saleh), p. 417
Among the letters of the Commander of the Faithful, to ʿUthman ibn Hunayf al-Ansari, his governor in Basra
When the Imam was informed that ʿUthman had been invited to a banquet and had attended.
Now then, O son of Hunayf, I have heard that a young man of Basra invited you to a banquet, and you hastened to it. You were treated to a variety of dishes, and platters filled with food were brought to you. I had not thought you would accept an invitation to the table of people who turn away the needy among them, yet invite the wealthy. Consider carefully each morsel you put in your mouth. Whatever you are unsure is lawful, spit it out; whatever you know has been obtained by lawful means, partake of it.
Know that every follower has a leader whom he follows and by whose knowledge he is guided. Your leader has been content with two worn garments from this world and two loaves for his food. You cannot live in this way, but help me through piety, striving, chastity and integrity. By God, I have hoarded none of your world’s gold, set aside none of its abundant spoils, prepared no replacement for my worn garments, and acquired not a handspan of its land. I have taken from it no more than would suffice a she-ass whose back is sore; and, in my eyes, this world is weaker and more worthless than a bitter colocynth.
Indeed, Fadak was once in our hands, along with all that the sky shelters. Yet some people’s souls begrudged it, while others freely relinquished it. God is the best judge. What have I to do with Fadak, or with anything beyond it, when tomorrow the soul’s dwelling will be a grave? In its darkness, all traces will be cut off and all news will disappear. It is a pit which, even if made wider and its digger’s hands widened, would still be constricted by stones and earth, and its gaps filled with packed soil. I am only disciplining my soul through piety, so that it may come safe on the Day of Great Fear and stand firm at the edges of the slippery path.
Had I wished, I could have found the way to the finest honey, the choicest wheat and the finest silk. But far be it from me that my desires should overcome me, or that greed should lead me to choose the best foods, while there may be someone in the Hijaz or Yamama who has no hope of a loaf and has never known a full stomach. Shall I sleep with a full belly while around me there are hungry stomachs and parched hearts? Or shall I be as the poet says:
و حسبک [عارا] داء أن تبیت ببطنه و حولک أکباد تحن إلى القد
“Enough disgrace and shame for a man to sleep with his belly full while around him are hearts longing for a morsel.”