Imam Sadiq (a.s.) had heard that an old man had become famous for his piety. One day, he saw him surrounded by a large crowd. A little later, the man came out of the crowd and distancing himself from them, proceeded alone, whereupon the Imam (a.s.) began to follow him. After a short time, the Imam (a.s.) observed that he had stopped near a bakery from where he stealthily picked up two loaves of bread. After a short distance, he stopped at a fruit store, picking up two pomegranates in the same manner and once again continued on his way.
As he walked further, the old man approached a sick person, handed over the loaves and fruits to him and was about to move on when Imam Sadiq (a.s.) came up to him and said, “I have witnessed something greatly astonishing from you”, and then proceeded to narrate the acts, which he had witnessed.
The old man said, “I suppose you are Imam Sadiq (a.s.).”
The Imam (a.s.) replied in the affirmative.
The man continued, “It is really unfortunate that in spite of being of the progeny of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) you do not seem to know anything.”
The Imam (a.s.) asked, “What act of ignorance have you noticed from me?”
The man said, “But do you not know that God has said in the Qur’an “Whoever brings a good deed, he shall have ten like it and whoever brings an evil deed, he shall be recompensed only with the like of it”. ( ch. Al-An’Am (6), vs. 160 )
On this basis, since I have stolen two fruits and two loaves of bread, I have four sins in my account, but on the other hand, since I have given it in the way of God, I have earned forty good deeds. Reducing four from forty, I still have thirty-six good deeds in my account; a pity that you possess no knowledge of such computations!”
The Imam (a.s.) explained to him, “But have you not heard this verse of the Qur’an, which says: “Allah only accepts from those who guard (against evil)”. (Al-Maidah (5), vs. 27 )
“You have earned four sins by stealing those four items and four more sins for giving them tosomeone else without the permission of the owners, so you have collected eight sins but not a single good deed.”
Later, the Imam (a.s.) said to his companions, “With such interpretations and justifications, not only do they mislead themselves, but others as well.”( Namunah-e-Ma’arif, vol. 4, pg. 275; Wasaail al-Shia’h, vol. 2, pg. 57. )