On the morrow, whilst Aboubekr was [engaged] in the Friday prayers at dawn, he stood up amongst the folk, in the midst of the mosque, and said, “O our brethren of the Muslims and people of Mohammed, all of you, verily envy falleth not save upon the rich and the noble and passeth by the poor and those of low estate.  Know that of the two stranger men against whom I spoke yesterday one is an Amir, a man of great rank and noble birth, and the case is not as certain of the envious [FN#113] informed me concerning him, to wit, that he was a thief and a robber; for I have enquired into the matter and find that the report lieth.  So beware lest any of you missay of the Amir or speak aught of evil against him, such as that which I heard yesterday, or you will cause me and yourselves fall into the gravest of calamities with the Commander of the Faithful; for that a man of high degree like this cannot sojourn in the city of Baghdad without the Khalif’s knowledge.”  On [FN#114] this wise, then, the Imam Aboubekr did away from the minds of the folk the ill thought [FN#115] which he had planted [there] by his speech concerning Zein ul Asnam.

Moreover, when he had made an end of the prayers, he returned to his own house and donned his gabardine; then, weightening his skirts and lengthening his sleeves, [FN#116] he went forth and took his way to the prince’s house.  When he came in to Zein ul Asnam, the latter rose to him and received him with the utmost reverence.  Now he was by nature religious, [FN#117] for all he was a youth of tender age; so he proffered the Imam all manner of honour and seating him by his side on a high divan, let bring him coffee with ambergris.  Then the servants spread the table for breakfast and they took their sufficiency of meat and drink, and when they had finished, they fell to talking and making merry together.  Presently the Imam asked the prince and said to him, .’O my lord Zein ul Asnam, doth your highness purpose to sojourn long here in Baghdad?” “Yea, verily, O our Lord the Imam,” answered Zein ul Asnam; “my intent is to sojourn here awhile, till such time as my requirement be accomplished.”  “And what,” asked Aboubekr, “is the requirement of my lord the Amir?  Belike, an I know it, I may avail to further him to his wish, though I sacrifice my life for him.” [FN#118] And the prince said to him, “I seek a damsel fifteen years of age and fair exceedingly, that I may marry her; but she must be pure and chaste and a clean maid, whom no man hath anywise defiled nor in all her life hath she thought upon a man; [FN#119] and she must be unique in grace and goodliness.”