يُونُسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ إِذِ اسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ فَأَوْمَأَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عليه السلام إِلَى يُونُسَ ادْخُلِ الْبَيْتَ فَإِذَا بَيْتٌ مُسْبَلٌ عَلَيْهِ سِتْرٌ وَ إِيَّاكَ أَنْ تَتَحَرَّكَ حَتَّى يُؤْذَنَ لَكَ فَدَخَلَ الْبَصْرِيُّونَ فَأَكْثَرُوا مِنَ الْوَقِيعَةِ وَ الْقَوْلِ فِي يُونُسَ١ وَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عليه السلام مُطْرِقٌ حَتَّى لَمَّا أَكْثَرُوا فَقَامُوا وَ وَدَّعُوا وَ خَرَجُوا فَأَذِنَ يُونُسَ بِالْخُرُوجِ فَخَرَجَ بَاكِياً فَقَالَ جَعَلَنِيَ اللَّهُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي أُحَامِي عَنْ هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةِ وَ هَذِهِ حَالِي عِنْدَ أَصْحَابِي فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عليه السلام يَا يُونُسُ فَمَا عَلَيْكَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ إِذَا كَانَ إِمَامُكَ عَنْكَ رَاضِياً يَا يُونُسُ حَدِّثِ النَّاسَ بِمَا يَعْرِفُونَ وَ اتْرُكْهُمْ مِمَّا لَا يَعْرِفُونَ كَأَنَّكَ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تُكَذَّبَ عَلَى اللَّهِ فِي عَرْشِهِ يَا يُونُسُ وَ مَا عَلَيْكَ أَنْ لَوْ كَانَ فِي يَدِكَ الْيُمْنَى دُرَّةٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ النَّاسُ بَعْرَةٌ أَوْ بَعْرَةٌ وَ قَالَ النَّاسُ دُرَّةٌ هَلْ يَنْفَعُكَ شَيْئاً فَقُلْتُ لَا فَقَالَ هَكَذَا أَنْتَ يَا يُونُسُ إِذَا كُنْتَ عَلَى الصَّوَابِ وَ كَانَ إِمَامُكَ عَنْكَ رَاضِياً لَمْ يَضُرَّكَ مَا قَالَ النَّاسُ.

and Yunus b. 'Abd al-Rahman was also in our company, when suddenly a group of the people of Basra asked leave to see him. Imam al-Rida, peace be upon him, signalled to Yunus: Go into the room and do not stir from your place until I give you leave. The Basrans entered the Imam's house and spoke much against Yunus b. 'Abd al-Rahman, while Imam al-Rida, peace be upon him, kept silent — until they went too far; then they rose and took their leave and went out. Then the Imam gave Yunus leave to come out of the room. Yunus came out weeping and said: May I be your ransom! I defend this teaching, and the companions know this well. Imam al-Rida, peace be upon him, said to him: O Yunus, when your Imam is pleased with you, what do you care for their words? O Yunus, speak to people according to the measure of their understanding, and leave aside what they do not recognise — for it is as though you had belied God upon His Throne. O Yunus, if there were a pearl in your right hand and people said it was camel-dung, or if there were camel-dung in your hand and people said it was a pearl, would that profit you at all? He said: No. He said: So too with you, O Yunus. When you are upon the truth and your Imam is pleased with you, people's words do you no harm.

«6»- كش، رجال الكشي حَمْدَوَيْهِ عَنِ الْيَقْطِينِيِّ عَنْ يُونُسَ قَالَ قَالَ الْعَبْدُ الصَّالِحُ عليه السلام يَا يُونُسُ ارْفُقْ بِهِمْ فَإِنَّ كَلَامَكَ يَدِقُّ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ لِي زِنْدِيقٌ قَالَ لِي مَا يَضُرُّكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ فِي يَدَيْكَ لُؤْلُؤَةٌ فَيَقُولَ لَكَ النَّاسُ هِيَ حَصَاةٌ وَ مَا كَانَ يَنْفَعُكَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي يَدِكَ حَصَاةٌ فَيَقُولُ النَّاسُ هِيَ لُؤْلُؤَةٌ.

Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamdawayh, from al-Yaqtini, from Yunus, who said: The Righteous Servant, peace be upon him, said: O Yunus, be gentle with them, for your words weigh heavily upon them. I said: They call me a zindiq. He said: When there are jewels in your hand and people say they are pebbles, what harm is it to you; and when there are pebbles in your hand and people say they are jewels, what good is it?

«7»- مع، معاني الأخبار لي، الأمالي للصدوق الْوَرَّاقُ عَنْ سَعْدٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنْ أَخِيهِ عَلِيٍّ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ الْأَحْوَلِ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ عَنْ آبَائِهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله قَالَ: إِنَّ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ قَامَ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَقَالَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تُحَدِّثُوا بِالْحِكْمَةِ الْجُهَّالَ فَتَظْلِمُوهَا وَ لَا تَمْنَعُوهَا أَهْلَهَا فَتَظْلِمُوهُمْ وَ لَا تُعِينُوا الظَّالِمَ عَلَى ظُلْمِهِ فَيَبْطُلَ فَضْلُكُمْ الْخَبَرَ.

Ma'ani al-Akhbar and Amali of al-Saduq: Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, related from his forefathers, from the Messenger of God — may God bless him and his family — that he said: Jesus son of Mary rose among the Children of Israel and said: O Children of Israel, do not teach wisdom to the ignorant, lest you wrong it; and do not withhold it from those worthy of it, lest you wrong them; and do not help the wrongdoer in his wrongdoing, lest you void your own merit… to the end of the hadith.

«8»- لي، الأمالي للصدوق ابْنُ الْوَلِيدِ عَنِ الصَّفَّارِ عَنِ ابْنِ هَاشِمٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَرَّارٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ عليه السلام قَالَ: قَامَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ عليه السلام خَطِيباً فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَقَالَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تُحَدِّثُوا الْجُهَّالَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ فَتَظْلِمُوهَا ٢ وَ لَا تَمْنَعُوهَا أَهْلَهَا فَتَظْلِمُوهُمْ.

Amali of al-Saduq: Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Jesus son of Mary rose to preach among the Children of Israel and said: O Children of Israel, do not speak wisdom to the ignorant, lest you wrong it; and do not withhold it from those worthy of it, lest you wrong them.