Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/376

346 betwixt heaven and earth, are signs for folk who understand.”’ (Q.) ‘Which is the most just?’ (A.) ‘That in which God saith, “Verily, God commandeth to justice and beneficence and giving to those that are near unto us and forbiddeth from profligacy and iniquity and oppression.”’ (Q.) ‘Which is the most yearnful?’ (A.) ‘That in which quoth God, “Shall every man of them yearn to enter a garden of delight?”’ (Q.) ‘Which is the most hopeful?’ (A.) ‘That in which quoth God the Most High, “Say, ‘O ye my servants, that have transgressed against your own souls, despair not of the mercy of God! Indeed, God forgiveth sins, all of them, for He is the Forgiving, the Compassionate.’”’ (Q.) ‘By what version dost thou read?’ (A.) ‘By that of the people of Paradise, to wit, the version of Nafi.’ (Q.) ‘In which verse doth God make prophets lie?’ (A.) ‘In that wherein He saith, “They [the brothers of Joseph] brought lying blood upon his shirt.”’ (Q.) ‘In which doth He make infidels speak the truth?’ (A.) ‘In that wherein He saith, “The Jews say, ‘The Nazarenes are [grounded] on nought,’ and the Nazarenes say, ‘The Jews are [grounded] on nought;’ and [yet] they [both] read the Scripture.” And [in this] both speak the truth.’ (Q.) ‘In which doth God speak in His own person [in the singular]?’ (A.) ‘In that in which He saith, “Neither have I created Jinn and men, but that they should worship.”’ (Q.) ‘In which do the angels speak?’ (A.) ‘In that which saith, “We celebrate Thy praises and hallow Thee.”’ (Q.) ‘What sayst thou of the formula, “I seek refuge with God from Satan the Stoned”?’ (A.) ‘It is obligatory, by commandment of God, on all who read the Koran, as appears by His saying, “When thou readest the Koran, seek refuge with God