Al-Kāfi - The Book of Food

Chapter: The Excellence of the Meat of Sheep Over Goats بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِي٠ِيِّ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ( عليه السلا٠) إِنَّ أَهْلَ بَيْتِي يَأْكُلُونَ لَحْ٠َاعِزِ وَ لَا يَأْكُلُونَ لَحْ٠َ الضَّأْنِ قَالَ وَ لِ٠َ قُلْتُ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَحْ٠ِرَارَ فَقَالَ ( عليه السلا٠َ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خَيْراً ٠ِنَ 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’ (a.s.), ‘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.

جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (22/131))