more than a sham; had it been even a recommended prayer I should long ago have rid myself of you.”
The man blushed with embarrassment when he heard these words.
We have cited this tale only to show that if a person possesses learning yet lacks sound reason, his reputation and status will inevitably collapse.
Anecdote: In that same period there came to al-Manṣūr a man from the City of the Messenger—Medina—on the strength of an old friendship that had existed between them. When he arrived, the Caliph of the age welcomed him warmly. The visitor was intelligent and discerning, though he was not a scholar. Al-Manṣūr, seeing him, drew him close, honored him, and summoned him into his presence.
The man said, “O Commander of the Faithful, I love you with intense affection and loyalty, and I am sincere in obedience and supplication. Yet I am not suited to serve kings. How, then, should I visit you in such a way that no lapse in etiquette appears on my part?”
Al-Manṣūr replied, “Postpone your visits, and when you do come, let there be an interval between one visit and the next—long enough that when you are absent I do not forget you, and when you are present I do not grow weary of you. My affection for you will thus increase beyond what it was at first. When you enter, sit at a distance from me until the chamberlain gradually brings you closer. Do not prolong your sitting, lest you be thought ill-mannered. Do not ask for your needs, so that you do not weigh upon my heart. When I show you kindness, thank me in every place you travel to and every lodging you occupy, so that when your gratitude reaches me I rejoice and increase my beneficence toward you. And do not mention in gatherings what passed between us in former days.”
The man followed these instructions. Each year he would come twice to convey his greetings, and every time al-Manṣūr would give him one thousand dirhams.
I have narrated this story so that it may be known: whoever possesses reason, even if he is not learned, will find that his intellect serves as a guide; but whoever has learning without reason will see all his affairs turned upside-down. One who enjoys the perfection of both intellect and knowledge is, in this world, either a prophet, a sage, or an imam. For a person’s beauty, honor, rank, and the soundness of his worldly and other-worldly affairs all depend upon intellect and its perfection; by it his qualities and levels are completed, as the poet said:
By intellect a man attains the full moon’s height;
Through intellect come honor and lofty esteem.
Intellect washes away the stain of sin;
Within intellect lie the crown and decisive command.
Intellect is the first part of faith, the middle of faith, and the end of faith. One of the ancients said