You must have courtesy, patience,
endurance, good character and
forbearance. Renew your clothing
regularly, have a good mount and
use a lot of what is good… Offer your
food to people: a miser never
prevails. You should have as your
confidants those you know to be the
best of people. When you discern
corruption, you should immediately
rectify it. When you discern
righteousness, you should increase
your attention to it. Act on behalf of
those who visit you and those who
do not. Be good to those who are
good to you and those who are bad
to you. Adopt pardon and command
the correct. Ignore what does not
concern you. Leave all that will harm
you. Hasten to establish people’s
rights. If any of your brethren is ill,
visit him yourself and send your
messengers. Inquire after those who
are absent. If any of them holds
back from you, do not hold back from
him. Show affection to people as
much as possible and greet even
blameworthy people… When you
meet others in a gathering or join
them in a Masjid and questions are
discussed in a way different to your
position, do not rush to disagree. If
you are asked, “Tell the people what
you know” say, “There is another
position on it which is such-and-
such and the evidence is such-and-
such.” If they listen to you, they will
recognise your worth and the worth
of what you have. If they ask,
“Whose position is that?” reply, “One
of the Fuqaha.” Give everyone who
frequents you some of the
knowledge they are expecting. Be
friendly with them and joke with
them sometimes and chat with them.
Love encourages people to
perservere in knowledge. Feed them
sometimes and fulfil their needs.
Acknowledge their worth and
overlook their faults. Be kind to them
and tolerant of them. Do not show
them annoyance or vexation. Be like
one of them… Do not burden people
with what they cannot do.