if it is said to him generous it is meant that he gives everything from him not for a purpose that returns to him. generosity is completed by two things one is that the benefactor has a benefit in what he gave so perhaps someone who gives something to someone who does not need him is not described as generous. the second is that the generous person does not need generosity so his initiative in generosity is for his own need. and everyone who gives in order to be praised or commended or to be freed from blame is seeking a substitute and is not generous. true generosity belongs to god for he does not seek through it freedom from blame nor perfection gained through praise. so the generous is a name indicating his existence with an addition to the action and the negation of the purpose so it does not lead to abundance in itself.
وإذا قيل له جواد، أريد به أن يفيض عنه الكل لا لغرض يرجع إليه. والجود يتم بشيئين أحدهما أن يكون للمنعم فائدة فيما وهب منه، فلعل من يهب شيئا ممن هو مستغن عنه لا يوصف بالجود. والثاني أن لا يحتاج الجواد إلى الجود فيكون إقدامه على الجود لحاجة نفسه. وكل من يجود ليمدح أو يثنى عليه أو يتخلص من مذمة فهو مستعيض وليس بجواد، وإنما الجود الحقيقي لله فإنه ليس يبغي به خلاصا عن ذم ولا كمالا مستفادا بمدح. فيكون الجواد اسما منبئا عن وجوده مع إضافة إلى الفعل وسلب للغرض، فلا يؤدي إلى الكثرة في ذاته.