عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَنَانٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) عَلَى الْمَائِدَةِ فَمَالَ عَلَى الْبَقْلِ وَ امْتَنَعْتُ أَنَا مِنْهُ لِعِلَّةٍ كَانَتْ بِي فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ يَا حَنَانُ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) لَمْ يُؤْتَ بِطَبَقٍ إِلَّا وَ عَلَيْهِ بَقْلٌ قُلْتُ وَ لِمَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَقَالَ لِأَنَّ قُلُوبَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ خَضِرَةٌ وَ هِيَ تَحِنُّ إِلَى أَشْكَالِهَا .
2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hanan who has said the following: “Once I was with abu ‘ Abd Allah , on the table-spread of food and he (the Imam) ate fresh herbs but I abstained because of a certain illness. 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.’” 