 213 as for the one who has attached to his imagination and thought that his name will be distant in the lands and his memory will remain for ages let him reflect on himself and say to himself o soul have you seen if i were mentioned with the best mention in all the regions of the inhabited world forever and ever until the end of the ages and then that did not reach me nor did i know of it would there be any joy or happiness for me in that at all? there is no alternative but no and there is no way to anything else at all. so if that is true and he is certain let him learn with certainty that if he dies he has no way to know whether he is mentioned or not and likewise if he is alive and does not know about it.
٢١٣ واما من علق على وهمه وفكره بان يبعد اسمه في البلاد ويبقى ذكره على الدهور، فليتفكر في نفسه وليقل لها يا نفس أرأيت لو ذكرت بأفضل الذكر في جميع أقطار المعمور أبد الأبد إلى انقضاء الدهور ثم لم يبلغني ذلك ولا عرفت به أكان لي في ذلك سرور وغبطة أصلا فلا بد من لا ولا سبيل إلى غيرها البتة، فإذا صح ذلك وتيقن فليتعلم يقينا أنه إذا مات فلا سبيل له إلى علم انه يذكر أو انه لا يذكر، وكذلك وأن كان حيا إذا لم يبلغه.