strength, toughness, and rigidity of character. Thus, the faculty of anger is the faculty that secures victory, while the faculty of appetite secures provision. Both are mentioned in His saying:
“Who has fed them against hunger and made them safe from fear.”
Provision and victory are frequently linked in the Quran, the Sunnah, and ordinary speech. As for the fourth virtue, known as justice, it is a quality encompassing all three: maintaining balance among them. These latter three constitute the practical moral virtues, as illustrated in the report concerning Saʿd, when al-ʿAbsī said of him:
“He does not distribute equally, judge fairly, or go out on military expeditions.”
Section
The three communities—Muslims, Jews, and Christians—also correspond to these three faculties. Muslims possess reason, knowledge, and moderation in their affairs, for their Prophet’s miracle is Allah’s knowledge and His speech; they are the community of the middle way.
As for the Jews, the faculty of appetite was weakened among them, to the point that foods and clothing were forbidden to them that were not forbidden to others. They were commanded to be stern and forceful in the ways prescribed for them. Their sins mostly arise from harshness and severity, rather than appetite.