me and laid hands on me and before thee carried me. Quoth Omar (Almighty Allah accept of him!), Thou hast confessed what thou committedest, and of acquittal there is no possible occasion; for urgent is the law of retaliation and they cried for mercy but it was not a time to escape. [FN#148] the youth answered, I hear and obey the judgement of the Imam, and I consent to all required by the law of Al-Islam; but I have a young brother, whose old father, before his decease, appointed to him wealth in great store and gold galore, and committed his affair to me before Allah, saying: I give this into thy hand for thy brother; keep it for him with all thy might. So I took the money and buried it; nor doth any know of it but I. Now, if thou adjudge me to be justiced forthright, the money will lost and thou shalt be the cause of its loss; wherefore the child will sue thee for his due on the day when the Creator shall judge between His creatures. But, if thou wilt grant me three days delay, I will appoint some guardian to administer the affairs of the boy and return to answer my debt; and I have one who will be my surety for the fulfillment of this my promise. So the Commander of the Faithful bowed his head awhile, then raised it and looking round upon those present, said, Who will stand surety by me for his return to this place? And the youth looked at the faces of those who were in company and pointing to Abu Zarr, [FN#149] in preference to all present, said, This man shall answer for me and be my bail. -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the youth pointed to Abu Zarr and said, This man shall answer for me and be my bail, Omar (Allah accept of him!) said, O Abu Zarr, dost thou hear these words and wilt thou be surety to me for
