214 thanking the benefactor is an obligatory duty and that is by comparing him to what he has done well or more then by being concerned with his affairs and coming up with a good defense of him then by being loyal to him alive and dead and to those connected to him of concern and people likewise then by continuing to love and advise him and spreading his good qualities with sincerity and covering up his faults as long as you are alive and bequeathing that to your descendants and those you love. it is not from gratitude to help him in sins and not advise him in what harms his religion and his worldly life but whoever helps the one who has done good to him in falsehood has deceived him and has denied his goodness and wronged him and denied his favor. also the kindness and blessings of god almighty upon everyone are greater more ancient and more blessed than the blessings of any benefactor besides him. he the almighty is the one who gave us the sight to see and the ears to hear and granted us the excellent senses and provided us with speech and discrimination by which he made us worthy for him to address us and he subjected to us what is in the heavens and on the earth of planets and elements and he did not favor anyone.
٢١٤ شكر المحسن فرض واجب، وإنما ذلك بالمقارنة له يمثل ما احسن فاكثر، ثم بالتهمم بأموره والتأتي بحسن الدفاع عنه ثم بالوفاء له، حيا وميتا، ولمن يتصل به من شأفة وأهل كذلك، ثم بالتمادي على وده ونصيحته ونشر محاسنه بالصدق وطي مساويه ما دمت حيا وتوريث ذلك عقبك وأهل ودك. وليس من الشكر عونه على الآثام وترك نصيحته في ما يوتغ به دينه ودنياه، بل من عاون من أحسن إليه على باطل فقد غشه وكفر إحسانه وظلمه وجحد إنعامه. وأيضا فان إحسان الله تعالى وإنعامه عز وجل على كل أحد اعظم واقدم وأهنأ من نعمة كل منعم دونه، فهو تعالى الذي شق لنا الإبصار الناظرة وفتق فينا الآذان السامعة ومنحنا الحواس الفاضلة ورزقنا النطق والتمييز اللذين بهما استأهلنا ان يخاطبنا، وسخر لنا ما في السماوات و الأرض من الكواكب والعناصر، ولم يفضل