and the traces of the Messenger had been effaced in most cities and the reality of Islam had faded under Tatar rule, they had an immense hold on people’s hearts, and people’s faith in them could not be shaken by anyone’s words.

The informant said:

Those great emirs went early that morning and spoke to the sultan’s deputy on their behalf, extolling their supposedly astonishing powers. He related to me various things that had been said. Allah Most High knows best the truth of the matter. The emir sensed that the truth would emerge upon investigation, so he sent the messenger to me a second time, only to learn that we were already on our way.

Many hostile adherents of innovation—including certain groups of students of jurisprudence, ascetic devotees, and followers of those who taught divine union—were working as hard as they could to support them and mobilizing people to assist them at the gathering. When I arrived, I found everyone eagerly awaiting the meeting, looking forward to what would happen and keen to learn the outcome. The sultan’s deputy and other emirs related to me some of the false allegations they had made.

He said, “They claim that you asked them to undergo a test: to heat collars in a fire and put them on.”

I replied, “That is a blatant fabrication. I shall now describe what happened.”

I said to the emir:

“We do not consider it lawful to order anyone to enter a fire, nor is it permissible to obey someone who orders a person to enter a fire. There is an authentic hadith concerning this. These people are lying about this; they are liars and innovators who have wrought corruption in the Muslims’ religious and worldly affairs to an extent known to Allah.”

And I mentioned