if they did not deceive them with false praise and did not tempt them with false praise and did not lure them into correcting their mistake then they would have been less sinful even if they did not go beyond the baseness of their company and the lowliness of their companionship. perhaps one of them if he varied in establishing his excuse and went to extremes in lightening the sanctity would say we only leave their advice for themselves and diverting them from their conditions out of fear of their zeal and caution against their pride and fear that they will find advice burdensome. for advice has a sting like the sting of fire and a heat like the heat of a spear. so we fear that if we do that to them we will gain nothing except their alienation from us and their aversion from us and their turning away from us and our company. it is better for us and them to defeat them despite their mistakes than for us to destroy them for they will not remain for us and we will not remain for them.
يغشوهم بالثناء الكاذب ولم يغروهم بالتقريظ الباطل ولم يستدروجهم باستصابة خطأهم لكانوا أخف ذنوبا وإن كانوا غير خارجين على لؤم العشرة ودناءة الصحبة ولعل أحدهم إذا تنوع في إقامة عذره وتنطع في تخفيف حرمة قال إنما ندع نصحهم في أنفسهم وصرفهم عن أحوالهم اشفاقا من حميتهم وحذرا من أنفتهم وخوفا من استثقالهم النصيحة فإن للنصح لدعا كلذع النار وحرا كحر السنان فنحن نخاف إن فعلنا ذلك بهم أن لا نربح إلا استيحاشهم لنا ونفارهم منا وأزورارهم عنا وعن عشرتنا فلان نظفر بهم مع زللهم خير لنا ولهم من أن نخرق عليهم فلا هم يبقون لنا ولا نحن نبقى لهم