[8] The Inauspicious land: In Ahadith, one is discouraged to use the earth of a land (e.g., to wash head, drink in its pottery) where a large number of Prophets -as were martyred and where those nations resided who persistently disobeyed Allah -azwj and caused mischief.
تفسير القمي عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ قَالَ: حَمَلْتُ مَتَاعاً إِلَى مَكَّةَ فَكَسَدَ عَلَيَّ فَجِئْتُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَدَخَلْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع- فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي قَدْ حَمَلْتُ مَتَاعاً إِلَى مَكَّةَ فَكَسَدَ عَلَيَّ وَ قَدْ أَرَدْتُ مِصْرَ فَأَرْكَبُ أَوْ بَرّاً Tafseer Al Qummi – from his father, from Ali Bin Asbaat who said, ‘I carried merchandise to Makkah and it spoilt upon me, so I came to Al-Medina and entered to see Abu Al-Hassan Al-Reza -asws .
I said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you -asws ! I had carried merchandise to Makkah and it spoilt upon me, and I intended to go to Egypt. Shall I sail (go by sea) or land?’ فَقَالَ مِصْرُ الْحُتُوفِ تفيض [يُقَيَّضُ] إِلَيْهَا أَقْصَرُ النَّاسِ أَعْمَاراً قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص لَا تَغْسِلُوا رُءُوسَكُمْ بِطِينِهَا وَ لَا تَشْرَبُوا فِي فَخَّارِهَا فَإِنَّهُ يُورِثُ الذِّلَّةَ وَ يَذْهَبُ بِالْغَيْرَةِ He -asws said: ‘Egypt is the death. The people of the shortest life-span are pulled to it.
Rasool-Allah -saww said: ‘Neither wash your head with its mud, nor drink in their pottery, for it inherits the disgrace and does away with the self-esteem (Ghayra)’.
ثُمَّ قَالَ لَا عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَ مَسْجِدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ تُصَلِّيَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ تَسْتَخِيرَ اللَّهَ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ وَ مَرَّةً فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَ رَكِبْتَ الْبَرَّ فَإِذَا اسْتَوَيْتَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِكَ فَقُلْ سُبْحانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنا هذا وَ ما كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ- وَ إِنَّا إِلى رَبِّنا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ فَإِنَّهُ مَا رَكِبَ أَحَدٌ ظَهْراً فَقَالَ هَذَا وَ سَقَطَ إِلَّا لَمْ يُصِبْهُ كَسْرٌ وَ لَا وَنْيٌ وَ لَا وَهْنٌ Then he -asws said: ‘It is upon you to go to Masjid of Rasool-Allah -saww and pray two Cycles Salat, and seek Forgiveness of Allah -azwj one hundred and one (101) times.
When you determine upon something and sail the sea, when you are even upon your ride (ship), then say, ‘Glory be to the One Who Subjugated this one for us, and we were not capable for it [43:13] And we would be returning to our Lord’ [43:14] . There is no one who rides a back, so he says this and falls off, except the breakage will not afflict him, nor tiredness nor weakness.