The Excellence of the Meat of Sheep Over Goats
1
عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ أَظُنُّهُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ قَالَ ذَكَرَ بَعْضُنَا اللُّحْمَانَ عِنْدَ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ( عليه السلام ) فَقَالَ مَا لَحْمٌ بِأَطْيَبَ مِنْ لَحْمِ الْمَاعِزِ قَالَ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ( عليه السلام ) وَ قَالَ لَوْ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مُضْغَةً هِيَ أَطْيَبُ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ لَفَدَى بِهَا إِسْمَاعِيلَ ( عليه السلام ) .
1. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from certain persons of his people, I think Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il who has said the following: “Certain ones among us mentioned two kinds of meat before abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’, ‘Alayhi al- Salam. He said, ‘No other meat is better than the meat of goat.’ Abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, looked at him and said, ‘Had Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, created any chunk of meat finer than that of sheep He would have presented that instead (of the ram) as ransom for ’Isma‘il, ‘Alayhi al-Salam.”’
2
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ( عليه السلام ) إِنَّ أَهْلَ بَيْتِي لَا يَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمَ الضَّأْنِ قَالَ فَقَالَ وَ لِمَ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ يُهَيِّجُ بِهِمُ الْمِرَّةَ السَّوْدَاءَ وَ الصُّدَاعَ وَ الْأَوْجَاعَ فَقَالَ لِي يَا سَعْدُ فَقُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ قَالَ لَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ شَيْئاً أَكْرَمَ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ لَفَدَى بِهِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ ( عليه السلام ) .
2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Sa‘d ibn Sa‘d who has said the following: “I once said to abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ‘My family does not like the meat of sheep.’ He (the Imam) then asked, ‘Why do they not like it?’ I replied, ‘They say that it accelerates bitterness, headache and pains.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘O Sa‘d.’ I replied, ‘Yes, my Imam.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Had Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, considered anything more revered than sheep He would have presented it instead (of the ram) as ransom for Ismail, ‘Alayhi al-Salam.’”
3
بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ( عليه السلام ) إِنَّ أَهْلَ بَيْتِي يَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمَ الْمَاعِزِ وَ لَا يَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمَ الضَّأْنِ قَالَ وَ لِمَ قُلْتُ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَحْمٌ يُهَيِّجُ الْمِرَارَ فَقَالَ ( عليه السلام ) لَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خَيْراً مِنَ الضَّأْنِ لَفَدَى بِهِ يَعْنِي إِسْحَاقَ . هَكَذَا جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ .
3. Certain persons of our people have narrated from Ja‘far ibn Ibrahim al-Hadramiy from Sa‘d ibn Sa‘d who has said the following: “I once said to abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ‘My family eats the meat of goats but not that of sheep.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘Why they do so?’ I replied, ‘They say that it excites bitterness (stomach acid).’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Had Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, known anything better than sheep He would have presented it as ransom for Ishaq.’” This is how it has come in Hadith.