then he bestowed upon them out of his grace mercy from us renewing by making them different in their minds and opinions just as he made them different in their possessions homes and ranks because in the equality of their conditions and the closeness of their destinies there is corruption that calls to their annihilation because of what it casts among them of competition and envy and arouses of hatred and injustice. those with reason have known that if people were all kings they would be annihilated to the last one and if they were all commoners they would perish in plain sight all of them just as if they were equal in wealth no one would humiliate anyone nor would a friend support a friend and if they were equal in poverty they would die of harm and perish in misery. so when it was envy is part of their nature and boasting is part of their nature. in the essence of their nature the difference in their fortunes and the disparity in their conditions were the reason for their survival and the cause of their contentment. the wealthy man who is heedless of reason and devoid of manners who realizes his share of the world with the lightest effort if he contemplates the state of the deprived intelligent man and the turbidities of the year in the heart he will think rather he will be certain that the money he has found will change the reason he lacked. the wellmannered but destitute man if he examines the state of the wealthy ignorant man will not doubt that he has been given preference over him and placed above him. the man of craftsmanship that brings him what sustains his life does not envy the man of vast power nor the one with the longlasting kingdom and all of that is evidence of wisdom evidence of the kindness of management and signs of mercy and compassion.
ثم من عليهم بفضل رأفته منا مستأنفا بأن جعلهم في عقولهم وآرائهم متفاضلين كما جعلهم في أملاكهم ومنازلهم ورتبهم متفاوتين لما في استواء أحوالهم وتقارب أقدارهم من الفساد الداعي إلى فنائهم لما يلقي بينهم من التنافس والتحاسد ويثير من التباغي والتظالم فقد علم ذوو العقول أن الناس لو كانوا جمعيا ملوكا لتفانوا عن آخرهم ولو كانوا كلهم سوقة لهلكوا عيانا بأسرهم كما أنهم لو استووا في الغنى لما مهن أحد لأحد ولا رفد حميم حميما ولو استووا في الفقر لماتوا ضرا وهلكوا بؤسا فلما كان التحاسد من أطباعهم والتباهي من سوسهم وفي أصل جوهرهم كان اختلاف أقدارهم وتفاوت أحوالهم سبب بقائهم وعلة لقناعتهم فذو المال الغفل من العقل العطل من الأدب المدرك حظه من الدنيا بأهون سعي إذا تأمل حال العاقل المحروم وأكدار الحول القلب ظن بل أيقن أن المال الذي وجده مغير من العقل الذي عدمه وذو الأدب المعدم إذا تفقد حال المثري الجاهل لم يشك في أنه فضل عليه وقدم دونه وذو الصناعة التي تعود عليه بما يمسك رمقه لا يغبط ذا السلطان العريض ولا ذا الملك المديد وكل ذلك من دلائل الحكمة وشواهد لطف التدبير وأمارات الرحمة والرأفة