Minister said: "He shall grant you governorship over any place you choose and love." My master said to him: "Whoever is a governor over a people must please one man and anger another. I have not been given the knowledge of the unseen in that, nor am I of those who possess physiognomy. Whenever I am a governor over a people, I am fearful that when I see a sin upon a people, I might anger a Friend of Allah and please an enemy of Allah, thus contradicting the report and exposing myself to danger and entering into delusion."

The Minister said to him: "And what is the report?" My master said to him:

Al-Sadiq, Exalted Glory, said: "Indeed Allah hid three in three: He hid His pleasure in righteous deeds, so let none of you belittle a deed in which there is pleasure for Allah. He hid His anger in small sins, so let none of you deem his sin minor. And He hid His Friend among His creation as a Proof for you, so let none of you belittle a man in two tattered rags whom Allah has established in His earth."

"Whenever I am a governor over a people, I do not feel safe for myself." The Minister said: "He shall give you and grant you beyond satisfaction." My master said to him: "No one is capable of this except the Master. But if he is able to give me in exchange for my jewel another jewel that is more precious in value, higher in magnificence, brighter in light, and more complete, then let him do so."

The Minister smiled at his speech and said: "O man! Do you not know that the one cheated is a loser, and the loser is dispraised? The resolute one is not cheated, and the intelligent one does not lose. Shall he give you the greater for the lesser, and the higher for the lower? This is speech that is not heard and a word that does not benefit."

My master said to him: "It is as if you do not accept this for the King, nor for yourself?" The Minister said: "No." He said: "Then what you do not accept for yourself, do you accept for another?" The Minister said: "No."