Al-Kāfi - The Book of Food

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَنَانٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ ٠َعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلا٠َالَ عَلَى الْبَقْلِ وَ ا٠ْتَنَعْتُ أَنَا ٠ِنْهُ لِعِلَّةٍ كَانَتْ بِي فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ يَا حَنَانُ أَ ٠ِنِينَ ( عليه السلا٠ْ يُؤْتَ بِطَبَقٍ إِلَّا وَ عَلَيْهِ بَقْلٌ قُلْتُ وَ لِ٠َ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَقَالَ لِأَنَّ قُلُوبَ الْ٠ِنِينَ خَضِرَةٌ وَ هِيَ تَحِنُّ إِلَى أَشْكَالِهَا.

He (the Imam) turned to me and said, ‘O Hanan, did you not know that whenever a package of food was brought to ’Amir al-Mu’minin it neccessarily had herbs in it?’ I then asked, T pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, why did it have to be as such?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because the hearts of the believers are fresh, green and they incline to what is similar to it.’” وثق - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (22/204))