Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Yahya al-`Attar narrated to us. He said: My father narrated to us from Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Yahya b. `Imran al-Ash`ari. He said: Ahmad b. Abi `Abdillah al-Barqi narrated to me from his father from Yunus b. `Abd al-Rahman from `Abdullah b. Sinan from al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad from his forefathers from al-Hasan b. `Ali .

He said: Amir al-Mu’minin `Ali b. Abi Talib was asked: What keeps faith steadfast? So, he said: Piety. So, it was said to him: What causes it to decline? He said: Greed.