85 – Abu Bakr narrated to me: ʿAli ibn Ibrāhīm reported to us; Dāwud ibn al-Muhabbar reported to us; Naṣr ibn Ṭarīf, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, said: “A person’s very framework is his intellect, and whoever lacks intellect has no religion.” ⦗62⦘

86 – One of the sages said to his brother, “My brother, your mind cannot encompass everything, so free it for the foremost of your important concerns. Your generosity cannot reach all people, so reserve it for those most entitled to you. Your night and day cannot cover all your needs, so set aside whatever you can dispense with. It is not rational to neglect of good what is indispensable, nor to praise someone whose beneficence you have not experienced.”

87 – A sage was asked, “What is intellect?” He answered, “It consists of two things: sound thinking expressed in keenness and quick insight, and refined discernment marked by frequent correctness.”

88 – A sage was asked, “What is foolishness?” He replied, “Meagre correctness, putting words where they do not belong, and the absence in the fool of every quality for which the intelligent person is praised.”

89 – Someone said to a sage, “Give us a comprehensive piece of advice.” He responded, “Listen and understand: there is no one who does not have with him two hidden judges—one a sincere counselor, the other a treacherous deceiver. The sincere counselor is reason, the treacherous deceiver is passion; the two are opposites. Whichever of them you side with will subdue the other.”