.......Continued

11 When you gain power over your adversary pardon him by way of thanks for being able to overpower him. I 41 I

41 The occasion for pardon and forgiveness is when there is power to take revenge. But when there is no such power, then pardon is just the result of helplessness, for which there is no credit. However. to practise pardon despite having power and the ability to avenge is the essence of human distinction and an expression of thanks to Allah for bestowing this power, because the feeling of gratefulness necessitates that man should bow before Allah in humbleness and humiliation by which the delicate feeling of pity and kindness will arise in his heart and the rising flames of rage and anger will cool down after which there will be no urge to take revenge under the effect of which he would use his power and capability to satisfy his anger instead of using it properly.

12 The most helpless of all men is he who cannot find a few brothers during his life, but still more helpless is he who finds such a brother but loses him. I42 I

42 It is not difficult to attract by good manners and cheerfulness and to befriend them by sweet speech because no physical exertion or mental worry is required for this; and after making friends it is still easier to maintain the friendship and good relations because for making friends some effort or other is needed while for maintaining it no dinicutty is to be surm0unted. Therefore, no one can be more wretched than the man who cannot even retain a thing which could be retained just by keeping away a frown from the face.

The intention is that a man should meet everyone with good manners and cheerfulness so that people may like to associate with him and extend a hand of friendship towards him.

13 When you get (only) small favours do not push them away through lack of gratefulness.

14 He who is abandoned by near ones is dear to remote ones.

15 Every mischief monger cannot even be reproved. [43 i

43 Ameer al-Momineen uttered this sentence when Saad bn~Abl Waqqaas. Mohammad bn~Maslama and Abdillah bn-Omar refused to support him against the people of Jamal. He means to say that these people are so against me that neither have my words any effects on them nor do i need to reproof. rebuke or correct them.

16 All matters are subject to destiny, so much so that sometimes death results from effort.

17 When asked to explain the saying of the Messenger of Allah that: “Banish your old age (by hairsdye) and do not acquire resemblance to the Jews."