Eating Clay

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’Eating clay is unlawful in its entirety, like the flesh of pork. If one eats it and dies, I will not perform Salat (prayer) for him except the clay from the grave (of al-Husayn (a.s.) ) in which there is cure for all kinds of illnesses but if one eats it because of strong desire, then there is no cure in it.’”

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’Eating clay is of the sources of hypocrisy.”’

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘One who continues eating clay has a share in his own murder.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, created Adam from clay and has made it unlawful for his offspring to eat clay.’”

“About the case of a man who ate clay ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), prohibited and said, ‘Do not eat clay; if you eat clay and die, you have helped to murder yourself.’”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Wishing and longing is an act of Satan. Eating clay is of the greater part of the hunting devices of Satan. It causes illness in the body and accelerates pain. If one because of eating clay loses his power that he had before eating clay and fails to work as he did before eating clay he will be made to suffer proportionate to the amount of power that he had lost because of eating clay.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about what people narrate as regards eating clay and that it is undesirable. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is clay and chunks of dirt.’”

“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, has said, ‘If one eats clay and dies he has helped to kill himself.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about clay. He (the Imam) said, ‘ It is unlawful like dead animals, blood, flesh of pigs except the clay from the grave of al-Husayn (a.s.), in which there is cure for all kinds of illness and security from all kinds of fear.”’