The Sheep

قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ يَا بُنَيَّ اتَّخِذِ الْغَنَمَ وَ لَا تَتَّخِذِ الْإِبِلَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said to me, ‘Son, keep sheep but do not keep camels.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ نِعْمَ الْمَالُ الشَّاةُ.

‘The best asset is sheep.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ نَظِّفُوا مَرَابِضَهَا وَ امْسَحُوا رُغَامَهَا[1].

‘You must clean the fold of the sheep and dust from them.’”

إِذَا اتَّخَذَ أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ شَاةً أَتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ بِرِزْقِهَا وَ زَادَ فِي أَرْزَاقِهِمْ وَ ارْتَحَلَ الْفَقْرُ عَنْهُمْ مَرْحَلَةً فَإِنِ اتَّخَذَ شَاتَيْنِ أَتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَرْزَاقِهِمَا وَ زَادَ فِي أَرْزَاقِهِمْ وَ ارْتَحَلَ الْفَقْرُ عَنْهُمْ مَرْحَلَتَيْنِ فَإِنِ اتَّخَذُوا ثَلَاثَةً أَتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَرْزَاقِهِمْ وَ ارْتَحَلَ الْفَقْرُ عَنْهُمْ رَأْساً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a family keeps one sheep, Allah provides her sustenance, increases their sustenance and dispels poverty from them by a distance (of one day’s journey). If a family keeps two sheep, Allah provides their sustenance and increases their sustenance and dispels poverty from them by two d

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَا مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُمْ شَاةٌ لَبُونٌ إِلَّا قُدِّسُوا فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ قُلْتُ وَ كَيْفَ يُقَالُ لَهُمْ قَالَ يُقَالُ لَهُمْ بُورِكْتُمْ بُورِكْتُمْ.

“I once heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying, ‘If a family keeps a milking sheep, such family is revered twice a day.’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘What is said to such family?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is said to the family, “You have received blessings, you have received blessings.’””

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ يَكُونُ فِي مَنْزِلِهِ عَنْزٌ حَلُوبٌ إِلَّا قُدِّسَ أَهْلُ‌ ذَلِكَ الْمَنْزِلِ وَ بُورِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَإِنْ كَانَتَا اثْنَتَيْنِ قُدِّسُوا وَ بُورِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ قَالَ فَقَالَ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا وَ كَيْفَ يُقَدَّسُونَ قَالَ يَقِفُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَلَكٌ فِي كُلِّ صَبَاحٍ فَيَقُولُ لَهُمْ قُدِّسْتُمْ وَ بُورِكَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ طِبْتُمْ و

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘If a family keeps a milking goat, reverence and blessing is sent on them. If they are two, the family is revered and blessed twice a day.’ Certain persons of our people then said, ‘How are they revered?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘An angels stands on them every morning and says,

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص لِعَمَّتِهِ مَا يَمْنَعُكِ أَنْ تَتَّخِذِي فِي بَيْتِكِ بَرَكَةً قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَ مَا الْبَرَكَةُ قَالَ شَاةٌ تُحْلَبُ فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ كَانَ فِي دَارِهِ شَاةٌ تُحْلَبُ أَوْ نَعْجَةٌ أَوْ بَقَرَةٌ تُحْلَبُ فَبَرَكَاتٌ كُلُّهُنَّ.

‘It is a sheep that you can milk. If one keeps a sheep in his home to milk or an ewe or a cow to milk they all are blessings.’”

دَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ فَقَالَ لَهَا مَا لِي لَا أَرَى فِي بَيْتِكِ الْبَرَكَةَ قَالَتْ بَلَى وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ إِنَّ الْبَرَكَةَ لَفِي بَيْتِي فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنْزَلَ ثَلَاثَ بَرَكَاتٍ الْمَاءَ وَ النَّارَ وَ الشَّاةَ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that once the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, went to the house of ‘Umm Salamah and said to her, ‘Why is it that I do not see blessing in your house?’ She said, ‘Yes, all praise belongs to Allah, there are bl

مَا مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ تَرُوحُ عَلَيْهِمْ ثَلَاثُونَ شَاةً إِلَّا لَمْ تَزَلِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ تَحْرُسُهُمْ حَتَّى يُصْبِحُوا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If any family keeps thirty sheep in the evening in their house, angels continue to protect them until the morning.’”