89. Formerly, most Muslims did not go hungry; they desired a comfortable life. Now they are hungry, and they have no wish for pleasure.

90. Temporary pains rather than temporary pleasure should be greeted with smiles and welcomed. For past pleasures make one say: “Alas!”, and “Alas!” is an expression of concealed pain. While past pains make one say: “Oh!”, and “Oh!” tells of permanent pleasure and bounty.

91. Forgetfulness is also a bounty; it allows one to suffer the pains of only one day and causes the rest to be forgotten.

92. Every calamity holds a degree of bounty, like a degree of heat. One should think of greater calamities and should note the degree of bounty in the small one, and thank God. For if the calamity is blown up, it will grow; and if it is worried over, it will double; the image, the imagining,  in the heart will be transformed  into reality; and they will pound the heart as well.

93. In society as a whole, everyone has a window, known as rank, through which to see and be seen. If the window is higher than a person’s stature, he will grow taller through arrogance, but if it is lower, he will bow down out of modesty to see and be seen at that level. The measure of greatness in man is smallness, that is, modesty. The scale of smallness is bigness; that is, arrogance.

94. The dignity of the weak before the strong becomes arrogance in the strong; while the modesty of the strong before the weak becomes abasement in the weak. The seriousness of someone in authority in their office is dignity, and his humility is abasement. While his seriousness in his house is haughtiness, and his humility, modesty. If an individual is on his own, then his tolerance and self-sacrifice are good acts. But if he is more than one and attached to others, they are treachery and inauspicious. Someone should swallow his pride in his own name and not be boastful, but he may boast in the name of his nation and should not swallow his pride.

95. To leave it to others in planning the preliminaries of a matter is laziness, while in awaiting the outcome it is reliance on God. Resignation with the fruits of one’s labour and with fate is contentment, and strengthens the wish to strive. Whereas making do with what exists is to lack enterprise.