8,Muḥammad ibn Sinān narrated from Dāwūd al-Riqqī, from Abū Ḥamzah al-Thumālī who said,

“I heard Abā Jaʿfar say, ‘Verily Allah, the Almighty, made among His creatures some who are worthy of virtue. He made them love goodness and love doing good [to others]. He enjoined upon those who seek goodness that they should refer to them. And He made it is as easy for them to carry it out as He made it is easy for rain to flow on arid land in order to bring it to life and cause its inhabitants to thrive. Verily Allah made among His creatures some who are enemies of virtue. He made them detest goodness and made them hate acting upon it. He forbade those who seek goodness from referring to them, and prevented them from carrying it out just as He prevents rain from pouring on an arid land [in order] to destroy its inhabitants. And what Allah forgives is greater [than what He punishes].’”