Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) أَنَّهُ قَالَ الإبْقَاءُ عَلَى الْعَ٠َا الإبْقَاءُ عَلَى الْعَ٠َلِ قَالَ يَصِلُ الرَّجُلُ بِصِلَةٍ وَيُنْفِقُ نَفَقَةً لله وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ فَكُتِبَ لَهُ سِرّاً ثُ٠َّ يَذْكُرُهَا وَتُ٠ْحَى فَتُكْتَبُ لَهُ عَلانِيَةً ثُ٠َّ يَذْكُرُهَا فَتُ٠ْحَى وَتُكْتَبُ لَهُ رِيَاءً.

A number of our companions from Sahl ibn Ziyad reported from Ali ibn Asbat, from some of his companions that Abu Ja'far (al-Baqir) (as) said: "Maintaining the deed is more difficult than performing it." It was asked, "What is maintaining the deed?" He replied: "A man maintains a connection or spends an expenditure for the sake of Allah alone, with no partners. It is recorded for him in secret. Then he mentions it and it is erased; then it is recorded for him publicly.

Then he mentions it again and it is erased, and it is recorded for him as showing off." ضعيف - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (0/114))