 mentioned the salt of the thief the protest of alkindi the letter of sahl ibn harun the words of ibn ghazwan the sermon of alharithi and all the wonders of them and others that came to my mind why did they call miserliness reform and stinginess economy and why did they insist on prevention and attribute it to prudence and why did they set up consolation and associate it with waste? and why did they make generosity extravagance and selfishness ignorance? and why did they renounce praise and rarely celebrate blame? and why did they consider weak the one who is cheerful and comfortable with giving? and why did they judge the one who is not inclined to praise and does not deviate from satire to be strong? and why did they argue for the softness of life and its bitterness and its sweetness? and why were they not ashamed to reject the good things in their own homes while they were frivolous about them in the homes of others? and why did they continue in miserliness? and why did they choose what requires that name while they are disgusted by that name? why did they desire to gain while they were reluctant to spend? why did they act in their wealth as one who fears the loss of wealth and not act in their wealth as one who hopes for the continuity of wealth? why did they save their share?
وذكرت ملح الحرامي ١ ، واحتجاج الكندي ٢ ، ورسالة سهل بن هارون ٣ ، وكلام ابن غزوان ٤ ، وخطبة الحارثي ٥ ، وكل ما حضرني من أعاجيبهم وأعاجيب غيرهم؛ ولم سموا البخل اصلاحا والشح اقتصادا، ولم حاموا على المنع ٦ ، ونسبوه إلى الحزم؛ ولم نصبوا للمواساة، وقرنوها بالتضييع؟ ولم جعلوا الجود سرفا، والأثرة جهلا ٧ ؟ ولم زهدوا في الحمد، وقل احتفالهم بالذم؟ ولم استضعفوا من هش ٨ للذكر، وارتاح للبذل؟ ولم حكموا بالقوة لمن لا يميل الى ثناء ٩ ، ولا ينحرف عن هجاء؟ ولم احتجوا لظلف العيش ١٠ على لينه، ولمره على حلوه؟ ولم لم يستحيوا من رفض الطيبات في رحالهم مع استهتارهم بها في رحال غيرهم؟ ولم تتابعوا في البخل؟ ولم اختاروا ما يوجب ذلك الإسم، مع أنفتهم من ذلك الإسم؟ ولم رغبوا في الكسب، مع زهدهم في الإنفاق؟ ولم عملوا، في الغنى، عمل الخائف من زوال الغنى، ولم يفعلوا في الغنى عمل الراجي لدوام الغنى؟ ولم وفروا نصيب