The King asked: ‘Why is it that we see the believers as few and the disbelievers as many?’ He replied: ‘The believers ascend, while the disbelievers dwell in the Abode, remaining, never ceasing, never shifting, and never ascending, and that is because of the postponement granted to them.’ The King said: ‘Tell me, how long is the postponement of the believer?’ My Master said: ‘Eighty shirts (qamīṣ, i.e., incarnations).’ The King asked: ‘And what is the lifespan?’ My Master replied: ‘Fifty years.’ The King said: ‘According to this calculation, the postponement would be four thousand years. Who then can be liberated so that he becomes pure, ascends, and is saved from this dark and evil world?’

My Master said: ‘When there remains no station except that he has acknowledged it, and no enemy except that he has renounced him, and he is cleared of the grievances of the servants, and no obligation remains upon him toward anyone, and he does not show enmity toward a friend of Allah nor friendship toward an enemy of Allah, and he does not associate partners in the Meaning (al-Ma‘nā), nor doubts, nor changes from his state—and every day of his days is in increase—then at that moment he becomes pure.’

The King said: ‘So the days of postponement would be one million, four hundred and forty thousand days. Does the affair of the believer during them proceed as you mentioned?’ My Master said: ‘The matter is not as you mentioned, so do not go toward that. Rather, only the days in which he knew and was guided to his path are counted for him from the postponement. As for the days of your ignorance, they are not counted.’

The King said: ‘Tell me now, did you travel to our lands and inhabit our homelands before this journey?’ My Master said: ‘Yes.’ He asked: ‘What goods did you prepare and carry to your lands?’ My Master replied: ‘I used to prepare jewels, rubies, pearls, amber, and similar items prepared for all major cities.’ The King said: ‘O man, the jewels and rubies come from us!’