Al-Kāfi - The Book of Domestic Animals

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Domestic Animals Chapter: The Rare Ahadith about the Stumpers عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ أَوْ غَيْرُهُ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ خَرَجَ عَبْدُ الصَّ٠َدِ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ وَ ٠َاعَةٌ فَبَصُرَ بِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ٠ُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلا٠ُقْبِلًا رَاكِباً بَغْلًا فَقَالَ لِ٠ْ حَتَّى أُضْحِكَكُ٠ُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ فَلَ٠ِنْهُ قَالَ لَهُ ٠َا هَذِهِ الدَّابَّةُ الَّتِي لَا تُدْرِكُ عَلَيْهَا الثَّأْرَ وَ لَا تَصْلُحُ عِنْدَ النِّزَالِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ( عليه السلا٠) تَطَأْطَأَتْ عَنْ سُ٠ُوِّ الْخَيْلِ وَ تَجَاوَزَتْ قُ٠ُوءَ الْعَيْرِ وَ خَيْرُ الْأُ٠ُورِ أَوْسَطُهَا فَأُفْحِ٠َا أَحَارَ جَوَاباً.

He then said to those with him, ‘Wait until I will make you laugh at Musa ibn Ja‘far.’ When close nearby he said, ‘What good is this stumper with which one cannot achieve any compensation for his losses and it is not of any use in a warfare struggle?’ Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), said, ‘I have come down from the height of the horse and stepped up from lowliness of donkeys and the best of things is that which is of the middle and balanced status.’ ‘Abd al-Samad remained speechless and could not phrase any.’” سكت عنه - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (2/457))