Chapter VIII - ON RULES FOR CONDUCT IN LIFE

Maxim 1

  Property is for the comfort of life, not for the accumulation of

wealth. A sage, having been asked who is lucky and who is not,

replied: 'He is lucky who has eaten and sowed but he is unlucky who

has died and not enjoyed.'

        Pray not for the nobody who has done nothing,

        Who spent his life in accumulating property but

          has not enjoyed it.

  Moses, upon whom be peace, thus advised Quran: 'Do thou good as

Allah has done unto thee.' But he would not listen and thou hast heard

of his end:

        Who has not accumulated good with dirhems and dinars

        Has staked his end upon his dirhems and dinars.

        If thou desirest to profit by riches of the world

        Be liberal to mankind as God has been liberal to thee.

  The Arab says: Be liberal without imposing obligations and verily

the profit will return to thee.

        Wherever the tree of beneficence has taken root

        Its tallness and branches pass beyond the sky.

        If thou art desirous to eat the fruit thereof

        Do not put a saw to its foot by imposing obligations.

  Thank God that thou hast been divinely aided

  And not excluded from his gifts and bounty.

  Think not thou conferrest an obligation on the sultan by serving him

  But be obliged to him for having kept thee in his service.