بخش 28 - در بیان قول رسول علیه‌السلام لا رهبانیة فی‌الاسلام

“Do not tear out thy feathers, but detach thy heart from (desire for) them, because (the existence of) the enemy is the necessary condition for (waging) this Holy War.

When there is no enemy, the Holy War is inconceivable; (if) thou hast no lust, there can be no obedience (to the Divine command).

There can be no self-restraint when thou hast no desire; when there is no adversary, what need for thy strength?

Hark, do not castrate thyself, do not become a monk; for chastity is in pawn to (depends on the existence of) lust.

Without (the existence of) sensuality ’tis impossible to forbid sensuality: heroism cannot be displayed against the dead.

He (God) hath said ‘Spend’: therefore earn something, since there can be no expenditure without an old (previously acquired) income.

Although He used (the word) Spend absolutely, (yet) read (it as meaning) ‘Earn, then spend.’

Similarly, since the King (God) has given the command ‘Refrain yourselves,’ there must be some desire from which thou shouldst avert thy face.

Hence (the command) ‘Eat ye’ is for the sake of the snare (temptation) of appetite; after that (comes) ‘Do not exceed’: that is temperance.

When there is no ‘predicate’ (relative quality) in him (any one), the existence of the ‘subject’ (the correlative term) is impossible.

When thou hast not the pain of self-restraint, there is no protasis: therefore the apodosis (recompense) does not follow.

How admirable is that protasis and how joyful is that apodosis (recompense), a recompense that charms the heart and increases the life of the spirit!