"Know that if you harm tenpeople, you will have enemies, even if they
are your mothers and fathers, but if you do good to ten people who are
not your relatives, they will become like mothers and fathers toyou.
If you enter Basra and oppose its people, elevate yourself over them,
vaunt your knowledge among them, and hold yourself aloof from their
company, you will shun them and they will shun you; you will curse
them and they will curse you; you will consider them misguided and
they will think you misguided and an innovator. Ignominy will attach
itself to you and us, and you will have to flee from them. This is not
an option. It is not an intelligent person who is unsociable to the
one who is unsociable until Allah shows him a way out.
When you go to Basra, the people will receive you, visit you and
acknowledge your due, so put each person in his proper position.
Honour the people of honour, esteem the people of knowledge and
respect the shaykhs. Bekind to the young and draw near to the common
people. Be courteous to theimpious but keep the company of the good.
Do not disregard the authorities or demean anyone. Do not fall short
inyour chivalry and do not disclose your secrets to anyone or trust
them until you have tested them. Do not socialise with the base or the
weak. Do not accustom yourself to what you disapprove of outwardly.
Beware of speaking freely with fools. 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 knowto 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 donot. 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 areabsent. If any of them holds
back from you do nothold 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 mosque 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 and then 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 fuqahā".
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 persevere 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."
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