Beware of being pleased with yourself thereby increasing the...

Beware of being pleased with yourself thereby increasing the number of those who are displeased with you. 21ـ إيّاكَ أنْ تَرْضى عَنْ نَفْسِكَ فَيَكْثُرَ السّاخِطُ عَلَيْكَ. Beware of overconfidence for this is one of the biggest traps of Satan. 22ـ إيّاكَ والثِّقَةَ بِنَفْسِكَ فَإنَّ ذلِكَ مِنْ أكْبَرِ مَصائِدِ الشَّيْطانِ. Indeed there is no price for your souls other than Paradise, so do not sell them except [in return] for it.

23ـ ألا إنَّهُ لَيْسَ لأنْفُسِكُمْ ثَمَنٌ إلاّ الْجَنَّةُ، فَلاتَبِيعُوها إلاّ بِها. The greatest affliction is poverty of the soul. 24ـ أكْبَرُ الْبَلاءِ فَقـْرُ النَّفْسِ. He who is controlled by lustful desires and enslaved by (worldly) aspirations has degraded his soul. 25ـ أزْرى بِنَفْسِهِ مَنْ مَلَكَتْهُ الشَّهْوَةُ، واسْتَعْبَدَتْهُ المَطامِعُ. The strongest of people is one who has the greatest command over his soul. 26ـ أقْوَى النّاسِ أعْظَمُهُمْ سُلْطاناً عَلى نَفْسِهِ.

The weakest of people is one who is unable to reform his soul. 27ـ أعْجَزُ النّاسِ مَن عَجَزَ عَنْ إصْلاحِ نَفْسِهِ. The person with the greatest control over his soul is the one who subdues his anger and kills off his lustful desire. 28ـ أعْظَمُ النّاسِ سُلْطاناً عَلى نَفْسِهِ مَنْ قَمَعَ غَضَبَهُ وأماتَ شَهْوَتَهُ. Verily when souls are in harmony they become close [with one another]. 29ـ إنَّ النُّفُوسَ إذا تَناسَبَتْ اِيتَلَفَتْ.

Verily your souls have [great] value, so do not sell them except for Paradise. 30ـ إنَّ لأنْفُسِكُمْ أثْماناً، فَلا تَبيعُوها إلاّ بِالْجَنَّةِ. Indeed the one who sells his soul for anything other than Paradise suffers great tribulation. 31ـ إنَّ مَنْ باعَ نَفْسَهُ بِغَيْرِ الْجَنَّةِ، فَقَدْ عَظُمَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْمِحْنَةُ. Verily these souls are very desirous, if you obey them they will lead you to the depths of evil.

32ـ إنَّ هذِهِ النُّفُوسَ طُلَعَةٌ، إنْ تُطيعُوها تَنْزِ عْ بِكُمْ إلى شَرِّ غايَة. Verily obeying the self and following its vain desires is the root of every tribulation and the cornerstone of every aberrance. 33ـ إنَّ طاعَةَ النَّفْسِ ومُتابَعَةَ أهْوِيَتِها أُسُّ كُلِّ مِحْنَة ورَأْسُ كُلِّ غَوايَة. Verily the soul has far-reaching desires and continues to be inclined towards disobedience in its desires.

34ـ إنَّ النَّفْسَ أبْعَدُ شَيْء مَنْـزَعاً، وإنَّها لاتَزالُ تَنْزِعُ إلى مَعْصِيَة في هَوىً. Verily this soul commands towards evil so one who neglects it [and does not discipline it] is indomitably driven by it towards sins.