Various Traditions From al-Ridha صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم
ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā|Volume 1|Book 2|Chapter 30
25 - حَدَّثَنا أَبي رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا عَلِىِّ بْنِ إِبراهِيمِ بْنِ هاشِم عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبِيْد عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عرفة قالَ: قالَ أَبُو الحَسَن الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: يَا ابْنَ عَرَفَةَ إِنَّ النِّعَمَ كَالإِبِلِ الْمَعْقُولَةِ فِي عَطَنِهَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ مَا أَحْسَنُوا جِوَارَهَا فَإِذَا أَسَاءُوا مُعَامَلَتَهَا وَإِنَالَتَهَا نَفَرَتْ عَنْهُمْ.
30-25 (The author of the book narrated) my father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Obayd, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Arafat that Abul Hassan Al-Ridha صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم told him, “O Ibn Arafat! In fact, God’s Blessings are like a camel tied up near a river where it rests. The people can gain benefits from it for as long as they treat it well. However, as soon as they mistreat it, it will leave them and they will lose it.”