Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَ٠ِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ ٠َحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ قَالَ سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) عَنِ الإسْتِدْرَاجِ فَقَالَ هُوَ الْعَبْدُ يُذْنِبُ الذَّنْبَ فَيُ٠ْلَى لَهُ وَتُجَدَّدُ لَهُ عِنْدَهَا النِّعَ٠ُ فَتُلْهِيهِ عَنِ الإسْتِغْفَارِ ٠ِنَ الذُّنُوبِ فَهُوَ ٠ِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَعْلَ٠2.

A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father all from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from certain individuals of his people who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) was asked about al-‘Istidraj, (gradual steps).

The Imam said, ‘It happens when a servant (of Allah) commits a sin he is given respite, new bounties come to him and he overlooks beseeching forgiveness for sins, thus, he is taken in gradual steps but he has not taken any notice of it.’” رسل - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/353))