(616) It was related from our Master al-Sadiq — exalted be his glory — that he said: "Any man who describes a portion of the Truth with his tongue but does not act upon it is a hypocrite." I asked: "And what does he describe with his tongue, O my Master, yet not act upon?" He replied: "He describes faith (al-iman) but does not recognize the right of the believer."
From my sheikh Abu al-Fath Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Baghdadi — may God be pleased with him: The reliable Sheikh Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jali — may God sanctify his soul — narrated to me, saying: I asked Lord Abu Abd Allah al-Khasibi — may God brighten his face — saying: "What is the sign of the degree of purity for a believer?" He replied: "It is that his 'adultery' (zinahu) decreases and his 'marriage' (nikahuhu) increases." I said: "O my lord, summarize this for me?" He said: "The meaning of his adultery decreasing is: that there be no one in the world he inhabits who needs to ask him a question to receive an answer. The meaning of his marriage increasing is: that he is never asked regarding a matter but that he brings its answer."
Then he said to me: "Indeed, the believer only answers with science and truth. Whoever uses this tradition according to its outward [meaning] while one of you has a student who asks him a matter for which he does not know the answer, yet he feels ashamed to be cut off from the answer and así answers him with what is incorrect, he becomes as God said: {And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing was a great sin}1. For if he answers him regarding what he asked without science, he has killed him."