40 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; he said: Muhammad ibn Idris reported to us; he said: Yahya ibn al-Mughira reported to us; he said: Jarir narrated from al-Hakam ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Azraq, who said:

“The Arabs used to say: ‘Intellect is experience, and prudence is mistrust.’ ”

He added that al-Aʿmash remarked, “Do you not see that when a man grows suspicious of something, he becomes wary of it?”

It was asked of one of the sages, “Who is the refined, intelligent man?” He answered, “The sharp-witted person who deliberately overlooks (others’ faults).”