The truth is the spring of the heart and the tax levied on any creature. It is the fruit of glory and enlightenment that illuminates the conscience. Truth represents the glory of true power, the serenity of the original consciousness. His testimony resolves disputes and strengthens judgments.
* * *
The speech of the Arabs is sweeter than water, softer than wind, sharper than paikon, faster than the flight of an arrow. The words in it are as flat as they are laid out, there is no need to explain them, to replace them, to change their place. Their speech is easy to hear and understand, difficult to memorize and accept. His voice is pleasing to the ears, his meaning is useful to the mind; The Qur'an was revealed to our Prophet in Arabic. No other speech can equal the speech of the Arabs - she is the queen of the speech of all nations: she attracts people, helps to find the right path, because the intentions of the Arabs are high, their goals are high.
* * *
Poetry is the decoration of the language, the weapon of eloquence. In it, the words are divided into lines, their place is strictly defined. The words are inextricably linked, and contradiction is commanded to them. In the Arabs, poetry is a natural gift, while in others it is created in their own way.
Words born in the heart reach the heart, and those born in the tongue do not go beyond the ear.
Lying is a sign of betrayal. It shows that knowledge is broken, that thought is falsified. Falsehood is the bowing of the soul to vague dreams, the distortion of the truth, the deviation from justice.
As one philosopher put it: “A liar is like a corpse, for the superiority of the living is in speech. If his words are not believed, then his life is in vain. "
A liar - a grave with. Only if a thief steals your item will a liar steal your mind.
If someone cheated for your benefit, another time they will use the lie against you. If someone is slandering someone in front of you, they will not be tired of slandering you elsewhere.
* * *
Luqman said: “Silence is wisdom, but unfortunately most people do not know how to remain silent. It was as if four arrows had spoken about it in the same way: Khusraw, the Roman emperor, the king of China, and the king of India.
Khusraw said: "I have never regretted what I did not say, I have regretted many times what I said."
The Greek emperor said, "You can take back what you haven't said yet, but you can take back what I said."
The words of the Chinese emperor: "Have you willed the word, then he will rule over you, and you are the ruler of what you have not yet said."
In the words of the King of India: “I am surprised when someone talks about something. If they get it right, it will hurt them, and if they don't get it, it won't do them any good. ”
* * *
The sage was asked:
- What is self-care?
"Suspicion."
"What about acting wisely?"
- Ask for advice.
- What connects hearts?
- Love.
- What is love?
- Generous hand and good news.
- What is caution?
- Impartiality in love and hate.
* * *
The most foolish of men speaks carelessly with the sultan and forces his friends to endure humiliation.
Describing the foolish man, one said: he has pleasure from peacocks - legs, flowers - thorns, water - foam, fire - smoke, wine; his fisq-fasod is samum1, and his trick is scorpion.
* * *
Al-Jahiz said: "The nature of cowardice and greed is the same: their basis is disbelief in Allah."
One of the companion's friends tells the story. One day I called the Companions home to eat and talk.
"I'm afraid an uninvited guest will come and disturb us," he replied.
"Let's just be alone," I assured him, and we went home.
After the noon prayer, I ordered them to bring food, at which point there was a knock on the door.
"Did you see that?" Said Ashab. "That's what I was afraid of."
"Hey, this is my friend," I explained to him. "He has ten habits, and if you don't like one of them, I won't let him in."
"Well, tell me, what habits he has," said Ashab.
"His first habit," I began, "is that he neither eats nor drinks."
- Bas! Said Ashab. "You don't have to count the other nine habits." Tell him to come in.
One day, the blind poet Bashar ibn Burd came to the caliph al-Mahdi's house. The caliph's uncle was talking to Yazid ibn Mansur al-Khumayri. When Bashar recited his verse to the Caliph, Yazid asked him:
"What do you do, old man?"
"By pearl drilling," said Bashar.
"What, are you kidding my uncle?" Mahdi was angry.
- O ruler of the believers, how should I answer such a question? - The poet wondered, - In front of you is a blind poet reciting a poem, and your uncle is asking what profession you do!
If you obey the one who is higher than you, then the one who is lower than you will obey you.
It is like a man who increases his wealth at the expense of his subjects, breaking the foundations of his house and covering the roof.
Khusraw divided his days as follows:
- It is very good to sleep on a windy day, when the weather is cloudy - hunting is the same, when it is raining - it is convenient to drink wine and party, and to work on a sunny day.
Khusraw was asked:
- What quality should a king have?
'If you talk to him,' said Khusraw, 'you will see that the king knows a lot, and if you try, you will understand that he understands everything. When he is angry, he forgives, when he wins, he releases the captives, and when he is sad, he rewards them. , goes beyond his promise, protects the oppressed.
They asked a king:
- What will help you to achieve such a high career?
He replied:
- Ability to forgive in spite of being powerful; being able to soften despite being hard; always be fair, even to oneself; and in love and hate being able to maintain a boundary that allows them to change their minds.
Ibn al-Mutazz says about authority:
Power is more of a concern to those who are closer to it than to anyone else, because whoever sits closer to the fire burns before everyone else.
What kind of wealth do you get with the help of power? A cowardly heart, a weary body, a cracked faith.
The sea is very rich in water, but it is dangerous with its depth; so is power: he who shares the glory of this world with him, he also shares the sufferings of the world.
Just as the body cannot live without life, so the people cannot live without power.
The more the Sultan blesses you, the more you respect him.
Whoever finds it necessary to be in the presence of the sultan must endure the cruelty of the sultan, just as a diver must endure the salt water of the sea.
Faith protects the king, and the king strengthens him.
Stay away from the sultan during the storm: zero is more dangerous to the swimmer than the calmness of the sea, this danger is even greater during a storm!
Alexander the Great was asked:
"Why do you respect your teacher more than your father?"
"My father gave me a mortal world, and my teacher gave me an eternal world."
Alexander was advised to march on the Persians at night.
“I will never steal a victory,” he replied.
Alexander was invited to marry Dorothy's daughter.
"I will not submit to the woman whose father I have subdued," he refused.
* * *
Illness is a sudden onset of old age, and old age is a natural disease.
It is better to eat less than something harmful than to eat more than what is good.
There is no escaping the three worries. These are poverty caused by laziness, enmity caused by jealousy, a disease exacerbated by old age.
It is better to walk away from three things - the sultan, the sick and the woman.
There are three categories - the sick, the passenger, and the fasting badfeel.
Two things - the value of youth and health are known only after they are lost.
Buzurjmehr said: “If there is anything more precious than life, it is health; if there is something more terrible than death, it is disease, if there is something equal to life, it is wealth, and if there is anything equal to death, it is poverty. ”
Ibn al-Mutazz said: "Death is an arrow shot at you, and life is the moment before that arrow hits you."
From the book "Flowers of Literature" by Ibrahim al-Khusri
Translated from the Russian by Fayzi Shahismoil.
