Hajjaj, draw me aside its tail so I may inform thee
thereanent."[FN#64] "O young man, say me on what pasture best
grow the horns of the camel?" "From leaves of stone." "O
lack-wit! do stones bear leaves?" "O swollen of lips and little
of wits and wisdom, say me do camels have horns?" "Haply thou art
a lover fond, O youth?" "Yes! in love drowned." "And whom lovest
thou?"--"I love my lord, of whom I hope that he will turn my
annoy into joy, and who can save me this day from thee, O
Hajjaj." "And dost thou know the Lord?" "Yes, I do." "And whereby
hast thou known Him?" "By the book of Him which descended upon
His Prophet-Apostle." "And knowest thou the Koran by heart?"
"Doth the Koran fly from me that I should learn it by rote?"
"Hast thou confirmed knowledge thereof?" "Verily Allah sent down
a book confirmed."[FN#65] "Hast thou perused and mastered that
which is therein?" "I have." "Then, O young man, if thou have
read and learned what it containeth, tell me which verset is the
sublimest (1) and which verset is the most imperious (2) and
which verset is hopefullest (3) and which verset is fearfullest
(4) and which verset is believed by the Jew and the Nazarene (5)
and in which verset Allah speaketh purely by himself (6) and
which verset alludeth to the Prophets (8) and in which verset be
mentioned the People of Paradise (9) and which verset speaketh of
the Folk and the Fire (10) and which verset containeth tenfold
signs (11) and which verset (12) speaketh of Iblis (whom Allah
curse!)." Then quoth the youth, "Listen to my answering, O
Hajjaj, with the aid of the Beneficient King. Now the sublimest
verset in the Book of Allah Almighty is the Throne verse;[FN#66]
and the most imperious is the word of Almighty Allah, 'Verily
Allah ordereth justice and well-doing and bestowal of gifts upon
kith and kin';[FN#67] and the justest is the word of the