الشعير
A staple grain, the base of talbina, discussed by commentators as easily digested and appropriate for convalescence.
كَانَ فِرَاشُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ أَدَمٍ وَحَشْوُهُ مِنْ لِيفٍ ... وَكَانَ طَعَامُهُمُ الشَّعِيرَ
“The household's staple food was barley bread, described repeatedly across narrations about the Prophet's ﷺ simple household diet.” (meaning, not a literal translation)
Multiple narrations from 'A'ishah describe periods where the household went without cooking a proper meal for extended stretches, subsisting on dates and water, with barley bread representing the more typical staple when available — together these reports paint a consistent picture of a deliberately simple household diet rather than a single isolated remark.
Ibn al-Qayyim discusses barley as cooler and lighter than wheat, well suited to fevers and convalescence, and the basis of talbina broth. He notes it as generally easier to digest than wheat for someone in a weakened state, which is precisely why it forms the base of the grief/illness porridge (talbina) covered in its own entry rather than a heavier wheat-based alternative.
Barley's beta-glucan fiber content is well documented in modern nutrition research, associated with digestive benefits and favorable effects on cholesterol and blood sugar response in several studies. Noted here as separate modern nutritional context supporting the general classical description of barley as gentle and beneficial.