The Prohibited Waters

“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, prohibited seeking cures from the hot fountains which are in mountains in which the smell of sulfur is found.’ It is said that it is of the smell of hell.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Nuh, Alayhi al-Salam, in the days of flood called all waters and they all replied except water of the sulfur and bitter water which then he condemned.’”

“I once passed by al-Hassan and al-Husayn, Alayhim al-Salam, who were in soaked wraparound cloths. I then said to them, ‘Grandchildren of the Messenger of Allah, you have ruined your wraparound cloths.’ They said to me, ‘O abu Sa‘id, ruining our wraparound cloths is more preferable to us than ruining the religion. Water has inhabitants like earth.’ They then asked, ‘What do you want?’ I replied, ‘I want to go in this water.’ They asked, ‘What is this water?’ I replied, ‘I need a cure for an illness and I want to drink this bitter one, perhaps the body becomes light and the belly soft.’ They said, ‘We do not think Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has placed cure in a thing which He has condemned.’ I then asked, ‘Why is that so?’ They said, ‘When Allah, most Blessed, most High, was angered with the people of Noah, Alayhi al-Salam, He opened the sky with pouring water and sent revelation to earth, but certain fountains disobeyed and He then condemned them and turned them into salty and bitter ones.’ In the Hadith from Hamdan ibn Sulayman it is said that they said, ‘O abu Sa‘id, you come to something which rejects our divine authority three times a day. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, presents our divine authority before waters and that which accepts it becomes sweet and fine, but what rejects it Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, makes it bitter, salty and burning.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘My father, Alayhi al-Salam, disliked seeking cures from bitter water and water of sulfur and would say, ‘Noah, Alayhi al-Salam, in the days of the flood called the waters and all of them answered except bitter water and sulfur water, so he prayed against them.’”