The Hijazi asked: 'And did you travel before this time to our lands, reside in our homelands and know our sayings and religions?' He said: 'No.' He asked: 'From where then do you have the science of that?' The Indian said: 'I am a man who trades in pearls, rubies, aloeswood, cloves, myrobalan, and other things prepared for the rest of the cities. The merchants used to stay with me to prepare from my side what they needed. Among those preparing was a man from the people of Basra in whom I saw religion, intellect, and understanding. I saw him as an ascetic, possessing purity, wisdom, and vast science. I intended when he came that he should stay with me, but he refused. So, I adjured him by an oath not to stay except with me and in my house, and he answered me in that. I lodged him in a garden that was in my property and carried to him what he would cover himself with and perform ablution with. I used to sit with him and hear from him great benefits. He used to stand at night hidden from me and pray in secret. When he finished his prayer, he would lean his back against the wall and recite a seventh of the Quran. I never heard anything better than him, nor more excellent than his recitation. I memorized the Quran from him, and not a single word of it was hidden from me.

I asked him one day to let me recite the Quran to him. He said to me: "And when did you memorize its recitation and before whom did you read it?" I said to him: "I did not read it before anyone, nor did I memorize it except from you, and I would love to recite it to you." He said: "This is not possible." I said to him: "And why is that?" He said to me: "Unless you embrace Islam and I take a covenant from you." I was a Christian, so I embraced Islam at his hand. That was well received by him and he was delighted with me with the utmost joy and felt a great intimacy with me. He used to seat me before him and I would recite the Quran to him until I mastered its recitation. Whenever a verse passed me, I would ask him about its interpretation (tafsīr) and esoteric meaning (ta’wīl); he would interpret for me what I asked about and relate the reports to me. He was extremely pleased with me and inclined toward me with total inclination.