Al-Ḥasan al-Ṣayqal reported that our Master Abū ʿAbdillāh (May his glory be exalted) said to him: "Do you want me to show you the shirt of ʿAlī (May his glory be exalted) in which he was struck, and to show you his blood?" He said: I replied, "Yes." So he called for it, and it was in a basket. He took it out and spread it. It was a shirt of coarse fabric resembling a Sunbulānī garment. The neck opening was toward the ground. And the blood was white, like milk, resembling a sword's mark1. He said, "This is the shirt of ʿAlī (May his glory be exalted) in which he was struck, and this is the trace of his blood." I measured his body; it was three spans. I measured its length; it was twelve spans.2
What is the nature of this white blood? If the walls did not have ears, and if among those who will read this speech there were not a creation of the blind, we would have elaborated on this matter with clarity.
But we will summarize the matter with His saying (Glorified be He): {And they came with false blood on his shirt}3
Indeed, some of the companions of our Master al-Ṣādiq (May His Glory be exlated) entered upon him, and he said to him: "Scratch my back for me." He put his hand in and found it was all wounds. He said: "O my Master, you are too great and exalted for this." The next day, he entered upon him and he said: "Scratch my back for me." He found it was smooth, with no wounds in it. And on the third day, he said: "Scratch my back for me." He put his hand in and found nothing in the clothes.4