the door of the whole mind and the whole comfort whoever thinks that he is safe from the criticism and faults of people is crazy. whoever has achieved insight and satisfied himself with being content with the truths even if they hurt him at the first shock his joy at peoples criticism of him will be more intense and greater than his joy at their praise of him. rather if their praise of him is right and their praise reaches him that will make him amazed and thus spoil his virtues. and if it is wrong and their praise reaches him he will be pleased and he will become happy with the lie and this is a severe deficiency. as for peoples criticism of him if it is right and he reaches it then perhaps it will be a reason for you to avoid what is blameworthy for him and this is a great fortune that only a deficient person will disdain. and if it is wrong and he reaches it then he will be patient and will gain additional virtue through patience and forbearance and he will be a winner with you because he will take good deeds from his false accusation and will attain them in the abode of recompense when he is most in need of salvation through deeds that he did not tire himself out with or take on. and this is a noble fortune that only a madman will disdain. as for the fact that peoples praise of him did not reach him their speech and their silence are the same. their censure of him is not the same because he is a beneficiary of the reward in any case whether their censure reaches him or not. were it not for the saying of the messenger of god may god bless him and grant him peace regarding good praise that is the immediate good news of the believer it would be necessary for the wise person to desire false censure more than his desire for true praise. but since this statement came then the good news is only in the truth not in falsehood so the good news is only due to what is in the praise not the praise itself.
باب العقل كله والراحة كلها من قدر انه يسلم من طعن الناس وعيبهم فهو مجنون. من حقق النظر وراض نفسه على السكون إلى الحقائق وإن ألمتها في أول صدمة، كان اغتباطه بذم الناس إياه أشد وأكثر من اغتباطه بمدحهم إياه، بل مدحهم إياه إن كان بحق، وبلغه مدحهم له، أسرى ذلك فيه العجب فأفسد بذلك فضائله، وإن كان بباطل فبلغه فسر فقد صار مسرورا بالكذب، وهذا نقص شديد. وأما ذم الناس إياه، فإن كان بحق فبلغه فربما كان لك سببا إلى تجنبه ما يعاب عليه، وهذا حظ عظيم لا يزهد فيه إلا ناقص، وإن كان بباطل فبلغه، فصبر، اكتسب فضلا زائدا بالحلم والصبر، وكان مع لك غانما لأنه يأخذ حسنات من مه بالباطل فيحظى بها في دار الجزاء أحوج ما يكون إلى النجاة بأعمال لم يتعب فيها ولا تكلفها، وهذا حظ رفيه لا يزهد فيه إلا مجنون. وأما أن لم يبلغه مدح الناس إياه، فكلامهم وسكوتهم سواء. وليس كذلك ذمهم إياه لأنه غانم للأجر على كل حال بلغه ذمهم أو لم يبلغه. ولولا قول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في الثناء الحسن ذلك عاجل بشرى المؤمن ، لوجب أن يرغب العاقل في الذم بالباطل أكثر من رغبته في المدح بالحق. ولكن إذ جاء هذا القول فإنما تكون البشرى بالحق لا بالباطل فإنما تجب البشرى بما في المدح لا بنفس المدح.