The Sufficient (Vol 2) · Hadith 306 (#Ḥadīth #11)

11ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْخُلُقَ مَنِيحَةٌ يَمْنَحُهَا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خَلْقَهُ فَمِنْهُ سَجِيَّةٌ وَمِنْهُ نِيَّةٌ فَقُلْتُ فَأَيَّتُهُمَا أَفْضَلُ فَقَالَ صَاحِبُ السَّجِيَّةِ هُوَ مَجْبُولٌ لا يَسْتَطِيعُ غَيْرَهُ وَصَاحِبُ النِّيَّةِ يَصْبِرُ عَلَى الطَّاعَةِ تَصَبُّراً فَهُوَ أَفْضَلُهُمَا.

11. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar from Abu ‘Abdillah who has said the following: “The Imam said, ‘Moral behavior is a gift that, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, bestows upon His creature. From moral behavior comes habit and intentions.’ 1 then asked, ‘Which one is better?’ The Imam said, ‘A person with an established habit is not able to do anything else. The person who possesses the intention may exercise patience for worship and thus, is the better one of the two.’”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).