The Sufficient (Vol 6) · Hadith 1203 (#Ḥadīth #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 , ‘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 .’”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).