16
751 — Muhammad ibn Idrīs al-Hanzalī also related to me. He said: Abdullāh ibn al-Mubārak said:
“[al-Munsarih meter]
I schooled my soul, yet found no discipline for it,
after fear of God, whatever its condition—
even when it falls short—better than remaining silent
rather than lying or backbiting others.
For the Lord of Majesty has forbidden
backbiting them in the Scriptures.
If your speech, O soul, is silver,
then silence is gold.”
٧٥١ - وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، قَالَ: قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ: «
[البحر المنسرح]
أَدَّبْتُ نَفْسِي فَمَا وَجَدْتُ لَهَا ... مِنْ بَعْدِ تَقْوَى الْإِلَهِ مِنْ أَدَبِ
فِي كُلِّ حَالَاتِهَا، وَإِنْ قَصُرَتْ ... أَفْضَلَ مِنْ صَمْتِهَا عَنِ الْكَذِبِ
وَغِيبَةُ النَّاسِ إِنَّ غِيبَتَهُمْ ... حَرَّمَهَا ذُو الْجَلَالِ فِي الْكُتُبِ
إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ كَلَامُكِ يَا ... نَفْسُ فَإِنَّ السُّكُوتَ مِنْ ذَهَبِ»