by lying to people and then presume to lie about Allah.

I also asked you, “Does anyone among them ever renounce his religion after entering it, out of displeasure with it?” You replied, “No,” and that is precisely how faith behaves once its sweetness permeates the heart.

I further asked, “Do they grow in number or diminish?” You stated that they grow, and so it is with faith until it reaches perfection.

I asked, “Have you fought against him?” You affirmed that you had, and that the battle between you and him goes to-and-fro—he strikes you and you strike him. Such is the case of the messengers: they are tested, but in the end the outcome is theirs.

I then asked, “Does he ever betray?” You asserted that he does not, and the messengers do not betray.

I asked, “Has anyone before him ever made this claim?” You said, “No.” Had you said that someone had made the claim before him, I would have concluded that he was a man following someone else’s precedent.

He then asked, “What does he command you to do?”

I replied, “He enjoins us to pray, to give the obligatory alms, to uphold family ties, and to remain chaste.”

He said, “If what you say about him is true, then he is indeed a prophet. I already knew he was about to emerge, though I did not expect him to be from among you. If I were certain I could reach him, I would love to meet him; and were I in his presence, I would wash the dust from his feet. His sovereignty will surely reach everything beneath my feet.” Then he called for