Samples of Translated Texts 485
consensus of the wise is that there are four types of virtues: wisdom, courage,
honesty, and justice.6 Kınalızade Ali (See Chapter 2)
From Ahlâk-ı Alâî (“Sublime ethics”):6
According to its situation, wealth is divided in three ways: first, concerning its
acquisition; second, concerning its possession, and third, concerning its spend-
ing. Now, as far as is concerns the acquisition of wealth there are again two parts:
one is by gain via choice, for instance through trade or a craft, and another is by
gain without choice, as in the case of gifts or inheritance. Some have divided the
means of the acquisition of wealth into three categories, trade, craftsmanship,
and agriculture, while others have divided them into four categories, adding
leadership, and since pensions and salaries come from the ruler’s rank, this is a
true categorization. Now, there is a dispute as to which of these parts is the best.
It is related that imam Şafi’î stated that “it is trade, all the more so since it was
the glorious occupation of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him”. And
imam Maverdi related that Şafi’î considered agriculture the best. Some more re-
cent authors said that “because in these times vicious contracts are abundant,
there is suspicion of wealth, but it is possible that in Şafi’î’s time commerce was
the best, due to the lack of corruption and an abundance of ulema” ... They also
said that there are three prerequisites for (lawful) gain: that oppression or tyr-
anny are not used, that one abstains from shameful transactions, and that one
preserves oneself against vileness and abasement.
... We say that a city can be of two kinds: the virtuous city and the imperfect
one. The virtuous city is one where pious deeds and right actions are the cause of
association and civilization, while in the imperfect city the cause of association
is wickedness and mischief. The virtuous city can only be of one type and no
more, because the Highest and Exalted God is only one, pure from any multitude
and so one is also the way of God ... But the imperfect city is of three kinds: the
first comes when the individuals of the city do not use their faculty of reason;
instead, it is their other bodily faculties that lie behind their association and
gathering. This is called the ignorant city. For instance, it may be driven by the
faculty of wrath and so called the irascible ignorant city, or it may be driven by
the sensual faculty and thus called the appetitive ignorant city. The second kind6 Kınalızade – Koç 2007, 335, 451–452, 479–480, 485.