—who among the Muslims ever held it before you?”

Abū Bakr flared up and said, “Do you imagine that those whose opinion you regard as a consensus (1) in this matter amount to consensus in my eyes? The most that can be said for them is that I treat them as a dissenting view—and far be it from them to constitute consensus.”

Ibn Surayj became angry in turn and said, “You are more practiced with your book al-Zuhra than with this kind of argument.”

Abū Bakr replied, “You taunt me with al-Zuhra? By Allah, you cannot even complete its recitation as one who understands. Yet it counts among my merits that I write in it:

I let my eyes wander time and again through the meadow of beauties,
yet I forbid my soul from reaching for what is forbidden;
My innermost voice speaks out the thoughts interpreting my mind—
were it not that I snatched it back, it would speak aloud;
I see passion claimed by people everywhere,
yet never have I witnessed a love that is sound and true.”

Ibn Surayj (2) responded, “And I am the one who says:

Of one whose coquettish glances I behold,
I spent the night denying him the sweetness of sleep,
Jealously guarding the charm of his speech and his gentle reproach,
while I rehearse my glances upon his cheeks;
and when the pillar of dawn began to gleam,
he went away bearing his Lord’s seal and acquittal.”

Abū Bakr remarked, “May Allah assist the judge! He has described a circumstance and then claimed innocence of what that circumstance necessitates; the burden of proof therefore rests with him.”

Ibn Surayj replied, “My position is that when someone makes an admission but ties it to a specific condition, his admission is dependent upon that very condition (3).”