and the cousin who is not far away so that his body is rubbed against him and is not close and affectionate to his womb and his reason for attracting him to my death is stronger than his reason for wishing for my survival and he is closer to the state that requires cruelty and harshness than to the state that requires tenderness and compassion. he does not support you if he supports you nor does he protect you because of his kinship to you but because he knows that if he lets you down your weakness will come upon him and after your weakness his enemy will be emboldened against him. so he wants to support someone who is not obligated to thank him and he strengthens the weakness of others by repelling weakness from himself.
وابن العم الذي ليس بالبعيد فيحتك من جسده، وليس بالقريب المحنو على رحمه، وسببه الجاذب له إلى تمي مماتي أمتن من سببه إلى تمني بقائي، وهو إلى الحال الموجبة للقسوة والغلظة أقرب منه إلى الحال الموجبة للرقة والعطف. وليس ينصرك إذا نصرك ولا يحامي عليك لقرابته منك، ولكن لعلمه بأنه متى خذلك حل به ضعفك، واجترأ بعد ضعفك عليه عدوه. فهو يريد بنصره من لا يجب عليه شكره، ويقوي ضعف غيره بدفع الضعف عن نفسه.