—he recovered and ceased weeping. Arius [and Tontius] (1) took the silver coins, examined them, and were astonished by them. Then one of them said to him, “Where is the treasure you found, young man?”

Yamlīkha replied, “I found no treasure. These are my forefathers’ silver coins; they bear the inscription of this city and were minted here. Yet, by Allah, I do not know what has become of me or what I should say to you.”

One of them asked, “Then who are you?”

Yamlīkha said, “As for me, I thought that I was one of the people of this city.”

They said, “Who is your father, and who knows you here?” He told them his father’s name, but they could find no one who knew either him or his father. One of them then said, “You are a liar; you are not telling us the truth.”

Yamlīkha did not know what to say to them. He merely lowered his head [and cast his gaze] (2) to the ground. Some of those around him said, “This man is mad.” Others said, “He is not mad; rather, he is deliberately making himself out to be a fool so that he may escape from you.”

Then one of the two looked sternly at him and said, “Do you think that we will release you and believe that this is your father’s money, and that the inscription and minting of these coins are more than three hundred years old, while you are only a young man? Do you think you can deceive us and mock us, while we are gray-haired elders, as you see, and the notables of the city, its governors, and the treasuries of this town are under our control? We do not possess a single dirham or dinar of this coinage. I think I shall order you to be severely tortured, and then have you bound until you confess to this treasure which you have found.”

When he said this, Yamlīkha said to them, “Tell me about something I wish to ask you. If you do so, I shall tell you truthfully what I know.”

They said, “Ask; we will conceal nothing from you.”

He asked them, “What has become of King Decius?”

They replied, “We know of no king anywhere on earth today named Decius. There was only a king by that name who perished long ago, many ages in the past, and many generations have passed away after him.”

Yamlīkha said, “Then I am indeed utterly bewildered, and no one among the people will believe what I say. We were young men [following one religion, namely Islam] (3), and the king compelled us to worship idols and sacrifice to false gods. So we fled from him yesterday evening and slept. When we awoke, I went out to buy food for them and learn the news. Yet here I am, as you see. Come with me to the cave on Mount Banjalus, and I will show you my companions.”

When Arius heard what Yamlīkha was saying, he said, “People, perhaps this is one of Allah’s signs, which Allah has brought about for you through this young man. Come with him, that he may show us his companions.”

So Arius and Astyus went with him, and the people of the city, young and old, went with them toward the Companions of the Cave, to see them. When the young men, the Companions of the Cave, saw that Yamlīkha had been delayed with their food and drink beyond the time at which he normally returned, they thought that he had been seized and taken to their king, Decius. As they thought this and feared it, they suddenly heard voices and the clamor of horses ascending toward them. They thought that they were messengers of the tyrant Decius, sent to bring them before him. So they rose to pray, bade one another farewell, and exhorted one another. They said, “Come, let us go to our brother Yamlīkha. He is now before the tyrant, waiting for us to come to him.” While they were saying this—