brought, and it was brought. Curtains were brought and set up. He ordered us to drink, but we refused.

He said to us: 'And why do you not drink it? Perhaps you are among those who do not deem its drinking lawful?' We said to him: 'It is so.' He said: 'And perhaps you are among those who say when they drink it: "It is lawful for you with yourselves, and forbidden for you with others"?' We said to him: 'It is so.'

He ordered everyone present with us to depart, and they departed; no one remained but us. Then, after that, he asked us again to drink it. My master said to him: 'May I be made your ransom! We only came for that which you know. If you guarantee the promise and fulfill what you guaranteed, the choice is yours.'

He ordered the jewel to be brought, and it was brought. He gave it to my master. When he saw it and contemplated it, he saw a radiance from it that snatched the sight. He was awed by what he saw of its beauty and grace. He returned it to the casket it was in, then said: 'I have seen it and contemplated it; what do you order regarding it?' The Merchant said: 'Do you know the price for which I bought it?' He said: 'Yes.' He said to him: 'How much?' My master said: 'Four hundred dirhams; then you sent your agent after him and he gave him the rest of the money, which was six hundred dirhams.' The Merchant said: 'That was so. Take your jewel; may Allah bless it for you. I knew when I saw the one who sold it to me, startled and in a hurry, that he had stolen it. By Allah, had you sought me out while we were in Mecca and informed me of its matter, I would have given it to you and relieved you of travel and fatigue.'

My master said to him: 'By Allah, I never possessed it for a single hour, nor did I see it except at this moment of mine. The one who sold it to you is indeed its owner and possessor.' The Merchant said: 'I have chosen, may Allah support you, that you tell me the story of the owner of this jewel—how it came to him and how you knew of its news and followed me to my country for its sake.'