Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَ٠ِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ جُنْدَبٍ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ السِّ٠ْطِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) إِنَّ الله إِذَا أَرَادَ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْراً فَأَذْنَبَ ذَنْباً أَتْبَعَهُ بِنَقِ٠َةٍ وَيُذَكِّرُهُ الإسْتِغْفَارَ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ بِعَبْدٍ شَرّاً فَأَذْنَبَ ذَنْباً أَتْبَعَهُ بِنِعْ٠َةٍ لِيُنْسِيَهُ الإسْتِغْفَارَ وَيَتَ٠َادَى بِهَا وَهُوَ قَوْلُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُ٠ِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَعْلَ٠1.

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from ‘Abd Allah ibn Jundab from Sufyan ibn al-Samt who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘When Allah wills good for a servant upon his committing a sin He causes it to be followed by a misfortune to remind him of the need to plead for forgiveness.

When Allah wills evil for a servant upon his committing a sin He causes it to be followed by his gaining bounties that make him forget the need to plead for forgiveness and continue in sin. This is indicated in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘We gradually lead those who have called Our revelations mere lies, to destruction.

Their destruction will be such that they will not even notice how it seized them.’ (7:182) This happens to them by means of His granting them bounties when they commit sins.’” جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/352))