عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) فَكَلَّمَهُ شَيْخٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا لِي أَرَى كَلَامَكَ مُتَغَيِّراً فَقَالَ لَهُ سَقَطَتْ مَقَادِيمُ فَمِي فَنَقَصَ كَلَامِي فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) وَ أَنَا أَيْضاً قَدْ سَقَطَ بَعْضُ أَسْنَانِي حَتَّى إِنَّهُ لَيُوَسْوِسُ إِلَيَّ الشَّيْطَانُ فَيَقُولُ لِي إِذَا ذَهَبَتِ الْبَقِيَّةُ فَبِأَيِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ تَأْكُلُ فَأَقُولُ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِثُمَّ قَالَ لِي عَلَيْكَ بِالثَّرِيدِ فَإِنَّهُ صَالِحٌ وَ اجْتَنِبِ السَّمْنَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُلَائِمُ الشَّيْخَ .
5. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Washsha’ from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman who has said the following: “Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah , and an old man from Iraq spoke to him (the Imam) who asked the man, ‘Why has your voice changed?’ The man replied, ‘It is because my front teeth have gone, so there is defect in my speaking.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah , said to him, ‘Certain ones of my teeth have also gone. Satan presents the temptation that what will happen if your other teeth go, how will then you eat? I say that there is no means and no power without Allah.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘You must eat Tharid (bread made in pieces in broth), it is suitable, and stay away from ghee because it is not suitable for an old man.’” 