The Fifth Assembly

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

The narrator of the report said: Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Barqi narrated to us, saying: Abu al-Maymun al-Hasan ibn Harun al-Samarrai the Scribe narrated to me, saying: I asked Abu al-Tahir Sabur ibn al-Qasim ibn Sabur the Ascetic to narrate to me everything he heard from the King and everything he saw and witnessed after what occurred between them—as we mentioned in the Fourth Assembly. I asked about the account of the world (of people) for whom they traveled to meet, what they saw, witnessed, and heard; the description of their colors, religions, clothing, food, drink, and crafts; the description of their lands and dwellings; the circumstances that brought them to the lands of that People; what they witnessed from them and what they heard and saw on their way; the mention of their transition (nuqlah, i.e., rebirth/migration) and how it occurred; the reason for the transition of Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Madani and what he witnessed and saw; and the reason for his return after settling in the lands of that People, the state that called him to that, and what he witnessed and heard upon his return.

He said: Know, O Abu al-Maymun, that what you have asked me about is a matter too vast to be confined and too great to be mentioned in full, yet I shall answer what you have asked me, if Allah Exalted Glory wills.

Know, O Abu al-Maymun, that after the King narrated to us the account of the Lord of the House mentioned previously, and after I saw and heard what I did from him, we remained in his presence. We dressed as he dressed and as he chose, we rode when he rode, and we alighted when he alighted. We did not oppose him in any state of affairs. When he saw this from us, and our obedience and acceptance of him became clear—and that we did not deviate from what he desired for us—he was delighted with us to the utmost degree. He did not hide any matter from us. We heard wonders from him and gained benefits; I do not recall us