（Q.）'How comes unbelief to the son of Adam？'（A.）'It is reported of the Prophet that he said'Unbelief runs in a man，as the blood runs in the veinswhen he reviles the world and Time and night and the hour.'And again'Let none of you revile Time，for Time is God；neither the worldfor it saith'May God not help him that reviles me！'neither the hourfor 'Verilythe hour comethwithout doubt；'neither the earthfor it is a portentaccording to the saying of the Most High'From it we created youto it we will return you and from it we will bring you forth yet again.''（Q.）'What are the five that ate and drankyet came not out of loins nor belly？'（A.）'Adam and Simeon and Salih's she-camel and Ishmael's ram and the bird that Abou Bekr the Truth-teller saw in the cave.'
（Q.）'Tell me of five that are in Paradise and are neither mortalsJinn nor angels？'（A.）'Jacob's wolf and the Seven Sleepers'dog and Esdras's ass and Salih's camel and the Prophet's mule.'（Q.）'What man prayed a prayer neither on earth nor in heaven？'（A.）'Solomon [son of David]when he prayed on his carpetborne by the wind.'（Q.）'A man once looked at a handmaid in the morningand she was unlawful to him；butat noondayshe became lawful to him. By mid-afternoon，she was again unlawfulbut at sundownshe was lawful to him.
At evensongshe was a third time unlawfulbut by daybreakshe became once more lawful to him.'（A.）'This was a man who looked at another's handmaid in the morningand she was then unlawful to himbut at midday he bought herand she became lawful to him.
At mid-afternoon he enfranchised herand she became unlawful to himbut at sundown he married her and she was again lawful to him. At evensonghe divorced her and she was then a third time unlawful to himbutnext morningat daybreakhe took her back，and she became once more lawful to him.'（Q.）'Tell me what tomb fared on with him that lay buried therein？'（A.）'The whale，when it had swallowed Jonah.'（Q.）'What spot of ground is it，upon which the sun shone oncebut will never again shine till the Day of Judgment？'（A.）'The bottom of the Red Seawhen Moses smote it with his staffand the sea clove asunder in twelve placesaccording to the number of the tribes；then the sun shone on the bottom and will do so never again till the Day of Judgment.'（Q.）'What was the first skirt that trailed upon the surface of the earth？'（A.）'That of Hagarout of shame before Sarahand it became a custom among the Arabs.'（Q.）'What is that which breathes without life？'（A.）'Quoth God the Most High'By the morningwhen it breathes！'（Q.）'A number of pigeons came to a high tree and lightedsome on the tree and others under it. Said those on the tree to those on the ground'If one of you come up to usye will be a third part of us [all] in number；and if one of us descend to youwe shall be like unto you in number.'How many pigeons were there in all？'（A.）'Twelve： seven alighted on the tree and five beneath.'
With this the philosopher put off his clothes and fled forth：
whereupon she turned to those present and said'Which of you is the rhetorician that can discourse of all kinds of knowledge？'There came forward Ibrahim ben Siyyar and said to her'Think me not like the rest.'Quoth she'It is the more sure to me that thou wilt be beatenfor that thou art a boasterand God will help me against theethat I may strip thee of thy clothes. Soif thou sentest one to fetch thee wherewithal to clothe thyselfit would be well for thee.'By Allah，'cried he'I will assuredly conquer thee and make thee a byword among the folkgeneration after generation！'Do penance [in advance] for thy [void] oath，'rejoined she. Then said he'What five things did God createbefore He made man？'
And she replied'Water and earth and light and darkness and the fruits [of the earth].'（Q.）'What did God create with the hand of omnipotence？'（A.）'The empyreal heaven and the tree Touba and Adam and the garden of Eden；these God created with the hand of His omnipotence；but to all other created things He said'Be，'--and they were.'（Q.）'Who is thy father in Islam？'（A.）'Mohammedwhom God bless and preserve！'
（Q.）'Who was the father [in Islam] of Mohammed？'（A.）'Abraham the Friend of God.'（Q.）'What is the Faith of Islam？'（A.）
'The professing that there is no god but God and that Mohammed is the apostle of God.'（Q.）'What is thy first and thy last？'
（A.）'My first is troubled water and my last filthy carrion. The first of me is dust and the last dust. Quoth the poet：
Created wast thou of the dust and didst a man becomeReady in question and reply and fluent in debate.
Then to the dust return'dst anon and didst become of itFor thatin very deedof dust at first thou wast create.'
（Q.）'What thing was itwhose first [state] was wood and its last life？'（A.）'Moses'rodwhen he cast it on the ground and it becameby permission of Goda writhing serpent.'
（Q.）'What is the meaning of the verse in the Koran'And I have other need [or occasion] for it'？'（A.）'He[Moses] was wont to plant his staff in the groundand it would flower and fruit and shade him from the heat and the cold.
Moreoverit would carry himwhen he was wearyand guard his sheep from the wild beastswhilst he slept.'（Q.）'What woman was born of a man alone and what man of a woman alone？'（A.）'Eve of Adam and Jesus of Mary.'（Q.）'What fire eats and drinkswhat fire eats but drinks notwhat fire drinks but eats not and what other neither eats nor drinks？'（A.）'Hellfire eats and drinks，the fire of the world eats but drinks notthe fire of the sun drinks but eats notand that of the moon neither eats nor drinks.'
（Q.）'Which is the open [door] and which the shut [door]？'（A.）
'The Traditional Ordinances are the openthe Koranic the shut[door].'（Q.）'Of what does the poet speakwhen he says：
A dweller in the sepulchreat 's head his victual lies；Whenas he tastes thereofhe speaks and questions and replies.
He rises up and walks and talksyet silent is the whileAnd turns anon unto the tomb wherefrom he did arise.
