The Excellence of the Meat of Sheep Over Goats

ذَكَرَ بَعْضُنَا اللُّحْمَانَ عِنْدَ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع فَقَالَ مَا لَحْمٌ بِأَطْيَبَ مِنْ لَحْمِ الْمَاعِزِ قَالَ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع وَ قَالَ لَوْ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مُضْغَةً هِيَ أَطْيَبُ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ لَفَدَى بِهَا إِسْمَاعِيلَ ع.

“Certain ones among us mentioned two kinds of meat before abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.). He said, ‘No other meat is better than the meat of goat.’ Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), 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 inst

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع 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 ع.

“I once said to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), ‘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 G

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع إِنَّ أَهْلَ بَيْتِي يَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمَ الْمَاعِزِ وَ لَا يَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمَ الضَّأْنِ قَالَ وَ لِمَ قُلْتُ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَحْمٌ يُهَيِّجُ الْمِرَارَ فَقَالَ ع لَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خَيْراً مِنَ الضَّأْنِ لَفَدَى بِهِ يَعْنِي إِسْحَاقَ. هَكَذَا جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ.

‘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 i