the boredom of a friend is annihilated and knowledge of the extent of sins is obscure and the limits of sins in punishment are hidden. he who is ignorant of the extent of the sin will not know the punishment. and bodies are of many shapes and vary in extent. and if you want to know the extent of the sin towards you from the extent of your punishment for it then look at its cause and reason and at its mine from which it emerged and its nest from which it was stepped and its planting from which it grew and at the direction of its owner in following and swaying and in inclination and steadfastness and at his shamelessness when rebuking and at his modesty when alluding and at his intelligence when hurling and allusion for the excess of intelligence may indicate excessive concern and according to the degree of concern is the advancement and retreat. every sin that was caused by malice narrowmindedness coarseness of character and bitterness whether due to interpretation or error in the measures or due to excessive pride and the prevalence of the nature of zeal from some harshness or some selfishness or due to his own entitlement and in what was made attractive to him of his work and that he was falling short in it and was delayed from his rank or it was conveyed about him or a lie was told about him and that was permissible for him and not forbidden in him
وملالة الصديق أفن، والعلم بأقدار الذنوب غامض، وحدود الذنوب في العقاب خفية. ولن يعرف العقاب من يجهل قدر الذنب. والأجرام كثيرة الأشكال، ومتفاوتة في الأقدار. وإذا أردت أن تعرف مقدار الذنب إليك من مقدار عقابك عليه فانظر في علته وسببه، وإلى معدنه الذي منه نجم، وعشه الذي منه درج، ومغرسه الذي منه نبت، وإلى جهة صاحبه في التتايع والتترع، وفي النزوع والثبات، وإلى قحته عند التقريع، وإلى حيائه عند التعريض، وإلى فطنته عند الرشق والتورية؛ فإن فضل الفطنة ربما دل على فرط الاكتراث، وعلى قدر الاكتراث يكون الإقدام والإحجام. فكل ذنب كان سببه الدالة وضيق صدر وغلظ طباع وحدة مرار، من جهة تأويل أو من جهة غلط في المقادير، أو من طريق فرط الأنفة وغلبة طباع الحمية من بعض الجفوة أو لبعض الأثرة، أو من جهة استحقاقه عند نفسه وفيما زين له من عمله، وأنه مقصر به مؤخر عن مرتبته، أو كان مبلغا عنه أو مكذوبا عليه، وكان ذلك جائزا عليه غير ممتنع فيه