Let what one knows of his own faults hold him back from...
Let what one knows of his own faults hold him back from [disclosing] what he knows of the faults of others. 13ـ لِيَكُفَّ مَنْ عَلِمَ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ عَيْبِ غَيْرِهِ ما يَعْرِفُ مِنْ عَيْبِ نَفْسِهِ. Let that which you know of your own faults prevent you from mentioning the faults of others. 14ـ لِيَنْهَكَ عَنْ ذِكْرِ مَعائِبِ النّاسِ ما تَعْرِفُ مِنْ مَعائِبـِكَ. Let the most preferred people in your eyes be the ones who guide you to your faults and help you to reform yourself.
15ـ لِيَكُنْ آثَرُ النّاسِ عِنْدَكَ مَنْ أهْدى إلَيْكَ عَيْبَكَ وأعانَكَ عَلى نَفْسِكَ. Let the most beloved of all people to you be one who guides you to the right and discloses your faults to you. 16ـ لِيَكُنْ أحَبُّ النّاسِ إلَيْكَ مَنْ هَداكَ إلى مَراشِدِكَ، وكَشَفَ لَكَ عَنْ مَعائِبـِكَ Not every fault is manifested. 17ـ لَيْسَ كُلُّ عَوْرَة تَظْهَرُ. If the deficient person came to know of his own deficiency, he would be greatly disturbed by what he learnt of his faults.
18ـ لَوْ عَرَفَ المَنْقُوصُ نَقْصَهُ لَساءَهُ ما يَرى مِنْ عَيْبِهِ. One who seeks a fault [in others] will find it. 19ـ مَنْ طَلَبَ عَيْباً وَجَدَهُ. One who shows you your fault has indeed counselled you. 20ـ مَنْ بَصَّرَكَ عَيْبَكَ فَقَدْ نَصَحَكَ. One who knows what [flaw] is in himself hides the faults of his brother. 21ـ مَنْ عَلِمَ ما فيهِ سَتَـرَ عَلى أخيهِ. One who informs you of your faults is indeed your friend. 22ـ مَنْ أبانَ لَكَ عَيْبَكَ فَهُوَ وَدُودُكَ.
One who hides your faults [from you] is indeed your enemy. 23ـ مَنْ ساتَرَ عَيْبَكَ فَهُوَ عَدُوُّكَ. One who discloses your faults to you guards you in your absence. 24ـ مَنْ كاشَفَكَ في عَيْبِكَ حَفِظَكَ في غيْبِكَ. One who flatters you for your fault, criticizes you in your absence. 25 ـ مَنْ داهَنَكَ في عَيْبِكَ عابَكَ في غيْبِكَ. One who sees his own faults does not fault anyone. 26ـ مَنْ أبْصَرَ عَيْبَ نَفْسهِ لَمْ يَعِبْ أحَداً.
One who is looking for the faults of people should start with himself. 27ـ مَنْ بَحَثَ عَنْ عُيُوبِ النّاسِ فَلْيَبْدَأْ بِنَفْسِهِ. Whoever disapproves of the faults of people but accepts them in himself, then that is a fool. 28ـ مَنْ أنْكَرَ عُيُوبَ النّاسِ، ورَضِيَها لِنَفْسِهِ، فَذلِكَ الأحْمَقُ. One who belittles others for that which he himself does, then that is an imbecile. 29ـ مَنْ أزْرى عَلى غَيْرِهِ بِما يَأتِيهِ فَذلِكَ الأخْرَقُ.
One of the greatest faults of a person is for his flaws to be hidden to him. 30ـ مِنْ أشَدِّ عُيُوبِ المَرْءِ أنْ تَخْفى عَلَيْهِ عُيُوبُهُ.
✦ ✦ ✦