SHAFAQNA – Imam Sajjad (AS) lost his mother when he was an infant and his step-mother looked after him. When Imam (AS) reached adulthood, he did not eat from the same bowl or on the same table cloth as his step-mother. A person asked him: I know that you love your step-mother, why don’t you eat with her? Imam Sajjad (AS) replied: I do not like my hand to pick up a bite (to eat) when my step-mother has already looked at it before me, in case I will be cursed for that act [1]. This is how respectful Imam Sajjad (AS) was towards his step-mother.
[1] Beharul Anwaar, Mo’assassatul Wafa, Beirut, Vol. 4, Page 93.