Chapter on Water and Its Rules, and What is Permissible and Impermissible for Purification

The Shaykh (Al-Mufid), may Allah سبحانه وتعالى support him, narrated to me from Abu al-Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Ya'qub, from al-Husayn ibn Muhammad, from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad and a group of our companions, from Sahl ibn Ziyad, all from Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hamadhani, from Ali ibn Abdullah al-Hannat, from Sama‘ah ibn Mehran, from al-Kalbi al-Nassabah, who said: He asked Abu Abdullah عليه السلام about nabidh (a steeped or fermented drink). Imam عليه السلام replied: "It is permissible." He (Narrator) then said: "We steep it and throw in the dregs and other things." Abu Abdullah عليه السلام said: "No, no! That is the foul wine!" I said: "May I be your ransom, what kind of nabidh do you mean?" Imam عليه السلام replied: "The people of Medina complained to the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) about the change in their water and its effect on their health. He instructed them to steep (dates), so a man would tell his servant to steep some for him. The servant would take a handful of dates and toss them into a waterskin. Part of it would be used for drinking, and part for purification." I said: "How many dates would be in a handful?" Imam عليه السلام replied: "What fits in a handful." I asked: "Would it be one or two?" Imam عليه السلام said: "Sometimes it would be one, and sometimes two." I asked: "How much would the waterskin hold?" Imam عليه السلام replied: "Between forty and eighty or more." I asked: "According to which measure of weights?" Imam عليه السلام said: "The weights of the Iraqi measure."