١٧ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ لا تَسْتَكْثِرُوا كَثِيرَ الْخَيْرِ وَتَسْتَقِلُّوا قَلِيلَ الذُّنُوبِ فَإِنَّ قَلِيلَ الذُّنُوبِ يَجْتَمِعُ حَتَّى يَصِيرَ كَثِيراً وَخَافُوا الله فِي السِّرِّ حَتَّى تُعْطُوا مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمُ النَّصَفَ وَسَارِعُوا إِلَى طَاعَةِ الله وَاصْدُقُوا الْحَدِيثَ وَأَدُّوا الأمَانَةَ فَإِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ لَكُمْ وَلا تَدْخُلُوا فِيمَا لا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ فَإِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ عَلَيْكُمْ.
17. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama’a who has said the following: “I heard abu al-Hassan  saying, ‘Do not consider a great deal of good deeds a great deal. Do not consider a little sin little; the little sins accumulate to become a great deal. Have fear of Allah in private so you can yield to justice against yourselves. Hurry up in obedience to Allah, be truthful in your words, keep the trust; it is for you. Do not be involved in what is not lawful to you; it is against you.’” 