My Master—may His Might be glorified—said to me: 'O Salman, enough of the reproach and the enumeration [of their sins].'

I said: 'O my Master, do they recognize me as I recognize them?'

He replied: 'Yes, O Salman.'

I said: 'And why is it that they do not speak, nor answer, nor argue, nor offer excuses, nor ask for pardon?'

He said: 'Because that is forbidden to them and withheld from them, until I manifest it [the speech] when I will it for them.'

When I heard that from my Master, the Commander of the Believers—may His Might be glorified—I ceased according to His command and restrained my speech concerning them. Then, the Commander of the Believers turned to them and said to them: 'Did I not offer you excuse and warning, just as I have offered excuse and warning to all of My creation? I have given you sincere counsel until I did not deprive anyone of anything that I have manifested.' One of them said: 'Yes!'

My Master—may His Might be glorified—said: 'Why, then, did you not accept as others accepted?' The one who spoke—Wabal, who is the First, may Allah curse him—said: 'O my Master, this is the one who led me astray from You and turned me away from the knowledge of You,' and he pointed to his companion.