The Proper Sacrifice

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Once, Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-‘Abidin (q.s.) was walking in Madina when he saw a person placing a goat on the ground, and was sharpening the knife before slaughtering the animal.  On seeing this, he became very saddened and thought of the martyrdom of his father.  He then began to weep bitterly and asked the man, “My dear brother, did you give the goat some food and water?”  The man replied that he had fed and given water to the goat for the past three days, and had also fed it water just before laying in down.  On hearing this, Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin (q.s.) let out a sigh and said, “It is sad that the people of Kufa’ did not even care for him like the goat.  They starved him for three days and nights and then martyred him in this state.”


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