he is able to reform himself so the beginning should be by reforming the heart and governing the soul. whoever does not reform himself and hopes to reform others is deceived as allah the most high said {do you command people to do good and forget yourselves?} and in the hadith allah the most high said to jesus son of mary admonish yourself. if you are admonished then admonish the people. otherwise be ashamed before me. the example of someone who is unable to reform himself and hopes to reform others is like the example of a blind man who wants to guide the blind. this will never be possible for him. rather he is able to reform himself by knowing himself. and the example of a persons knowledge of his body is like the example of a state in his country. his limbs senses and extremities are like craftsmen and workers and the law is to him like a counsellor and advisor and a managing minister and desire in him is like a bad slave who brings provisions and food and the nerves are to him like a police chief and the slave who brings provisions is a cunning sly man who appears to man in the form of an advisor and in advice there is the creeping of a scorpion so he opposes the minister in his management and does not neglect an hour of disputing and opposing him so the governor in his kingdom whenever he consults his minister in his management rejects this bad wicked slave and disciplines his police chief and makes him a consultant for his minister and gives him authority over this. the wicked slave and his followers until this slave is controlled and not governed and is a manager and not a manager then the affairs of his country will be set right. likewise the soul when it seeks help in its management from the law and reason and disciplines passion and anger until it does not become agitated except by the indication of the law and reason and its authority over desire and its affairs will be settled otherwise it will be corrupted and follow whims and worldly pleasures as allah the most high said {and do not follow whims} and the most high said {have you seen he who has taken his own desire as his god?} {and he said he has stuck to the earth and followed his own desire. so his example is like that of a man who has been given a share in the worldly life.} {the dog} and the most high said in praise of those who disobeyed her {but as for he who feared the position of his lord and prevented the soul from desire}
يقدر على اصلاح نفسه فينبغي أن تقع البداية باصلاح القلب وسياسة النفس ومن لم يصلح نفسه وطمع في اصلاح غيره كان مغرور كما قال الله تعالى {أتأمرون الناس بالبر وتنسون أنفسكم} وفي الحديث ان الله تعالى قال لعيسى بن مريم عظ نفسك فان اتعظت فعظ الناس والا فاستحي مني ومثال من عجز عن اصلاح نفسه وطمع في اصلاح غيره مثال الاعمى اذا اراد يهدي العميان وذلك لا يستتب له قط وانما يقدر على اصلاح النفس بمعرفة النفس ومثل معرفة الانسان في بدنه كمثل وال في بلده وجوارحه وحواسه واطرافه بمنزلة صناع وعملة والشرع له كمشير ناصح ووزير مدبر والشهوة فيه كعبد سوء جالب للميرة والطعام والعصب له كصاحب شرطة والعبد الجالب للميرة خبيث ماكر يتمثل للانسان بصورة الناصح وفي نصحة دبيب العقرب فهو يعارض الوزير في تدبيره ولا يغفل ساعة من منازعته ومعارضته فكان الوالى في مملكته متى استشار في تدبيراته وزيره دون هذا العبد السوء الخبيث وادب صاحب شرطته وجعله مؤتمرا لوزيره وسلطه على هذا العبد الخبيث واتباعه حتى يكون هذا العبد مسوسا لا سائسا ومدبرا لا مدبرا استقام امر بلده وكذا النفس متى استعانت في تدبيراتها بالشرع والعقل وادبت الحمية والغضب حتى لا يهتاج الا باشارة الشرع والعقل وسلطته على الشهوة واستتب أمرها والا فسدت واتبعت الهوى ولذات الدنيا كما قال الله تعالى {ولا تتبع الهوى} الأية وقال تعالى {أفرأيت من اتخذ إلهه هواه} {وقال} {أخلد إلى الأرض واتبع هواه فمثله كمثل الكلب} وقال تعالى في مدح من عصاها {وأما من خاف مقام ربه ونهى النفس عن الهوى}