we have found that god has criticized extravagance and he has criticized zeal and he has criticized fanaticism. we have found that he has singled out extravagance with something that he has not singled out fanaticism because a persons love for his relatives is not fanaticism nor is his disdain for injustice a fanaticism of the age of ignorance. fanaticism is that which exceeds the truth and the disgraceful fanaticism is that which exceeds the goal. so we have found that the name of pride may be praised or blamed and we have never found the name of fanaticism or the name of extravagance to be anything but blameworthy. only an ignorant person who has no knowledge is happy with the name of extravagance or a man who is happy with it because no one calls him extravagant until he believes that he has exceeded the limit of generosity and has ruled in his favor with the truth then followed it up with falsehood. if he is happy with it from a source other than this then he has participated in the error with the praiser and is like him in putting something in the wrong place.
وقد وجدنا الله عاب السرف، وعاب الحمية ٣ ، وعاب العصبية، ووجدناه قد خص السرف بما لم يخص به الحمية، لأنه ليس حب المرء لرهطه من العصبية، ولا أنفته من الضيم من حمية الجاهلية. وإنما العصبية ما جاوز الحق، والحمية المعيبة ما تعدى القصد. فوجدنا اسم الأنفة قد يقع محمودا ومذموما وما وجدنا اسم العصبية ولا اسم السرف يقع أبدا إلا مذموما ٤ وإنما يسر باسم السرف جاهل لا علم له، أو رجل إنما يسر به لأن أحدا لا يسميه مسرفا، حتى يكون عنده قد جاوز حد الجود، وحكم له بالحق، ثم أردفه بالباطل. فإن سر من غير هذا الوجه، فقد شارك المادح في الخطأ، وشاكله في وضع الشيء في غير موضعه.