he set the letter upon the ground and then dispatched it; it is therefore no wonder that the Negus accepted Islam. When he wrote to Khosrow Anūshirwān, however, he did not place the letter on the ground, and so it is no wonder that Khosrow did not embrace the faith. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Dust your letters with earth, for that is more effective in securing your needs,” and in another wording, “Dust the letter, for earth is blessed.”

When a letter has been written, it should be read before it is folded; if an error is noticed, let it be caught and corrected. A scribe should strive to make his wording brief yet his meaning expansive, avoid repeating the same word, and steer clear of heavy or vapid expressions, so that his writing will be praised.

Much more could be said about the art of correspondence, but were we to set it all down this book would grow too long. We shall therefore content ourselves with what has been presented, for it is said, “The finest speech is concise yet telling, elevated yet never wearisome.”