be exposed to the gaze of the dignified and the eminent among people, who would mock it; for the soul, by its very nature, senses what will end well and what will end badly. Yet desire often overpowers it and urges it to plunge into what harms it.

The reason people’s dislike of a thing signals that it is sinful is that the soul, by instinct, loves others to see its goodness and hates the opposite. Hence riyāʾ (showing off) has ruined most people: whenever the soul itself detests being seen by others, that alone tells it the deed is evil and a sin.”