perhaps the envious person will reach the point of envy if his desires are not acted upon and his arrows of charms are not executed that he will admit to himself that he made a mistake and confess that the attack he made on the book was due to forgetfulness and negligence and that he did not achieve the investigation he wanted to and that his mind was preoccupied and his mind divided. then when his mind is free and his concern is alone he will review what he had done so that he may be thought to be prudent. it will be said that he did not retract his statement and admit to the mistake except from a mind that restrains and pure religion. but that is a trick and cunning on his part.
وربما بلغ من الحاسد جهد الحسد إذا لم يعمل بشهوته، ولم تنفذ سهام لطائفه، أن يقر على نفسه بالخطأ، ويعترف أن الطعن الذي كان منه في الكتاب عن سهو وغفلة، وأنه لم يكن بلغ منه في الاستقصاء ما أراد، وكان مشغول الفكر مقسم الذهن، فلما فرغ له ذهنه وانفرد له همه راجع ما كان بدر منه، لتظن به الرعة، ويقال إنه لم يرجع عن قوله واعترف بالخطأ إلا من عقل وازع، ودين خالص. وإنما ذلك حيلة منه ودهاء