Samples of Translated Texts 503
take measures to readjust public affairs act according to these signs ... because
the cure applied to an old man cannot be suitable for a child, and vice versa ...
Now, the corporeal existence of man is composed of the four humors, which
exist in the four elements of nature; by means of the senses and the faculties,
human reason controls them all. Likewise, the social existence of man also con-
sists of four elements, which are controlled by the glorious sultan, who is in the
place of reason, by means of his senses and faculties, who are his statesmen.
These four pillars are the ulema, the military, the merchants, and the peasants.
The ulema, this exalted class, corresponds to the blood; the heart, which is the
seat of this immaterial jewel, the animal soul, sends this soul, with the blood, to
all the limbs of the human body, the legs, the arms, even to its further ends ... The
military corresponds to phlegm, the merchants to yellow bile, and the peasants
to black bile, whose nature is earthly and inferior. These four humors maintain
the health of the human disposition, depending on each other to keep their
quantities balanced; likewise, the order of societies and the disposition of states
are maintained in a similar way. The four humours must be kept balanced, so
that the disposition of the body sees no harm. If, for some reason, one of them
becomes diminished and damaged or, conversely, stronger than the others, then
one needs the appropriate medicine to regain the balance.From Mîzânü’l-hak fi ihtiyâri’l-âhak (“The balance of truth for the selection of the tru-
est [way]”), translated by Geoffrey Lewis:25
The ordinances relating to both kinds [of innovation] are set forth explicitly and
in detail in the law-books; we do not propose to describe them here. All we wish
to say is this: these innovations are all firmly based on custom and habit. Once
an innovation has taken root and become established in a community, it is the
height of stupidity and ignorance to invoke the principle of ‘enjoining right and
forbidding wrong’ and to hope to constrain the people to abandon it. People
will not give up anything to which they have grown accustomed, whether it be
Sunna or innovation, unless some man of blood massacre them all ... People will
not abandon custom. Whatever it is, it will last until God decrees otherwise ...
The duty of complying belongs to the people; they cannot be forced to comply.
In short, there is no point in conducting profound researches into this sub-
jects, for ... if everybody were to carry out an honest self-examination, nothing
approaching conformity with the Sunna would be found. Scarcely any of the say-
ings or doings of any age are untainted by innovation.
... So much for the summary of the treatises [on bribery]. Now for our own
view.25 Kâtib Chelebi – Lewis 1957, 89–90 and 126–127.