worlds, upper and lower, are of its creation and innovation, and in them is its fire, its marks (ruqūm), and its witnesses?"

The boy said: "O King, the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are but creations among His creations. All the managed spheres, the fixed constellations, the rotating orbits, the traveling stars, and all that is in the earth and the heavens and what is between them of all originated things bear witness to His Divinity and submit to His Meaning-ness (Ma‘nawiyyah). There is no small or great thing but that it is humble and lowly before Him."

The sage who had advised obedience stood upon his feet and sought permission to speak. The King permitted him, and he said: "O boy, if the matter is as you mentioned and the description is as you described—that this Point of View (Ra’y) created the light, the darkness, the earth, and the heavens, and innovated all the luminaries, and that he is the Powerful, the Wise, the Generous Lord, the Ancient Eternal (al-Awwal al-Qadīm), and the All-Aware, the All-Knowing—then we want him to show us of his signs and miracles that which proves his Lordship. For by power the Powerful is known, and by the act the Doer is inferred. If he shows us the signs and miracles we request, we shall submit to him in servitude and acknowledge his Divinity."

The boy said: "Mention to me what you desire from him so that I may know it and tell you the answer I have concerning it, and after that, what else do you want?"

The sage said: "The first thing we want and choose is that he manifest for us the House of Wisdom and restore the images within it for us, and place a golden dome in the House, without seeking help from anyone to assist him or any helper to aid him. The work must be according to the meaning we desire. Likewise the doors and everything we choose and request from him."

The boy said: "And after that, what do you want?"