And when the state of a person is inclined towards the side of fear, it is panic, or towards the side of hope, it is arrogance. Therefore, he is not rectified except by moderation, through the means that lead to perfection, just as it is for his nature in the position of preserving health and warding off illness for his body. He said, describing the "Qur'an": "a bearer of good news"; that is, for whoever follows, "and a warner"; that is, for whoever refrains and is cut off.

Abu Nu'aym narrated in Al-Hilyah in the biography of our Imam Al-Shafi'i, may Allah be pleased with him and grant him peace, that it was narrated from Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah honor his face, that he said in one of his sermons: "And the most astonishing thing in a person is his heart. It has materials of wisdom and opposites of its contrary. If hope arises, greed overwhelms him. If greed stirs within him, excessive desire destroys him. If despair takes hold of him, regret kills him. If anger arises, fury intensifies within him. If he is fortunate with contentment, he forgets to be cautious. If fear befalls him, sadness occupies him. If a calamity strikes him, despair breaks him. If he gains wealth, affluence corrupts him. If poverty bites him, affliction occupies him. If hunger overwhelms him, weakness sits with him. Thus, every shortcoming in him is harmful, and every excess in him is corrupting.

And when their custom was to always exercise caution in every good news and warning regarding worldly matters, this caused their opposition to their custom in abandoning decisiveness by turning away. So he said: "But most of them turned away"; that is, from allowing anything from his good news or warnings. "So they"; for this reason, "do not hear"; that is, they act like those who do not hear, for they do not accept anything from what he called for and urged upon.