Al-Wajal wa-l-Tawaththuq bi-l-'Amal - Ibn Abi al-Dunya - (54)

The Final Counsel

The six men said to Anṭūnis, “How fine your words are, and how eloquent your admonition! ⦗55⦘”

He replied, “Yet the sweetness of my sermon will not pass beyond your ears. Do you not know that in what Moses brought in the Torah, what David brought in the Psalms, what the Messiah brought in the Gospel, and in the writings of all the prophets, it is stated: ‘You shall only be recompensed for what you used to do’? Reward is given to the one who acts in proportion to his deed, and a hired laborer ought to know what awaits him with the master who pays his wages. Therefore, examine your deeds and pass judgment upon yourselves; you will then see clearly what is for you and what is against you. Depart from me, then, rightly guided.”

So they left him, cast lots among themselves, appointed one of them king, and were satisfied with him.

الْوَصِيَّةُ الْأَخِيرَةُ قَالَ النَّفْرُ السِّتَّةُ لِأَنْطُونِسَ: مَا أَحْسَنَ قَوْلَكَ، وَأَبْلَغَ مَوْعِظَتَكَ ⦗٥٥⦘. قَالَ: أَمَا إِنَّ حَلَاوَةَ عِظَتِي لَا تُجَاوِزُ آذَانَكُمْ، أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ فِيمَا جَاءَ بِهِ مُوسَى فِي النَّامُوسِ، وَفِيمَا جَاءَ بِهِ دَاوُدُ مِنَ الزَّبُورِ، وَالْمَسِيحُ مِنَ الْإِنْجِيلِ، وَفِي كُتُبِ جَمِيعِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ: إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ. وَالثَّوَابُ لِمَنْ عَمِلَ يُعْطَى بِقَدْرِ عَمَلِهِ. وَالْأَجِيرُ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَعْرِفَ مَا يَصِيرُ إِلَيْهِ عِنْدَ رَبِّ أَجْرِهِ، فَانْظُرُوا فِي أَعْمَالِكُمْ، واقْضُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ يَتَبَيَّنْ لَكُمْ مَا لَكُمْ وَمَا عَلَيْكُمْ، وَانْصَرِفُوا عَنِّي رَاشِدِينَ. فَانْصَرَفُوا عَنْهُ، فَاقْتَرَعُوا بَيْنَهُمْ، وَمَلَّكُوا أَحَدَهُمْ، وَرَضُوا بِهِ.