we do not say that greed has an effect on this art alone but we say that greed is the cause of every worry even in money and circumstances. we find that a persons neighbor his maternal uncle his friend his cousin his maternal uncle his maternal nephew his maternal grandfather and his daughters son die. since he has no hope for his money the worry of losing it is lifted from him even if its danger is great and its value is enormous. there is no way for concern for any of it to cross his mind. even if a distant relative or a distant client dies greed for his money occurs to him and he becomes very worried sad angry and thinking about losing a little of it. and so it is with circumstances we find a person from the later class who does not care about others implementing the affairs of his country without his command nor about bringing others closer or distancing them until if he becomes greedy in this rank he becomes worried thinking and angry which may lead him to ruin himself and ruin his world and the hereafter. so greed is the root of every worry and it is a bad and reprehensible trait. its opposite is integrity of the soul and this is a virtuous quality composed of bravery generosity justice and understanding because he understood the lack of benefit in using its opposite so he used it. there was bravery in him that produced in him pride of soul so he was pure. there was a nature of generosity in him so he did not care about what he missed. there was a nature of justice in him that made him love contentment and lack of greed. so if integrity of the soul is composed of these qualities then greed which is its opposite is composed of the qualities that are opposite to these four qualities which are cowardice stinginess injustice and ignorance.
ولسنا نقول إن الطمع له تأثير في هذا الفن وحده، لكنا نقول ان الطمع سبب إلى كل هم، حتى في الأموال والأحوال، فاننا نجد الانسان يموت جاره وخاله وصديقه وابن عمته وعمه لأم وابن أخيه لأم وجده أبو أمه وابن بنته، فاذ لا مطمع له في ماله، ارتفع عنه الهم بفوته عن يده، وان جل خطره وعظم مقداره فلا سبيل إلى أن يمر الاهتمام بشيء منه بباله؛ حتى إذا مات له عصبة على بعد أو مولى على بعد حدث له الطمع في ماله وحدث له من الهم والأسف والغيظ والفكرة بفوت اليسير منه عن يده أمر عظيم. وهكذا في الأحوال فنجد الانسان من أهل الطبقة المتأخرة لا يهتم لإنفاذ غيره أمور بلده دون أمره ولا لتقريب غيره وإبعاده، حتى اذا حدث له طمع في هذه المرتبة حدث له من الهم والفكر والغيظ أمر ربما قاده إلى تلف نفسه وتلف دنياه وأخراه. فالطمع اذا أصل كل هم ، وهو خلق سوء ذميم. وضده نزاهة النفس، وهذه صفة فاضلة متركبة من النجدة والجود والعدل والفهم لأنه فهم قلة الفائدة في استعمال ضدها فاستعملها، وكانت فيه نجدة انتجت له عزة نفسه فتنزه، وكانت فيه طبيعة سخاوة نفس فلم يهتم لما فاته، وكانت فيه طبيعة عدل حببت اليه القنوع وقلة الطمع. فاذا نزاهة النفس متركبة من هذه الصفات، فالطمع الذي هو ضدها متركب من الصفات المضادة لهذه الأربع الصفات، وهي الجبن والشح والجور والجهل.