a reply to someone who had spoken to him about them, according to what was reported. Their senior shaykhs arrived and began gently appealing to the emir to bring about a reconciliation and put an end to the affair. The emir replied, “There can be no reconciliation until the truth becomes clear.”

The emir, Bahādir, and I rose and went to the emir’s seat in a corner of the palace. I heard him telling him about Ayyūb the porter in Egypt, the muwallahīn, and similar matters. This indicated that these people enjoyed a lofty reputation with this emir and were well regarded. Allah knows the true circumstances best, for this was related to me.

The emir wanted Bahādir to witness this encounter so that the truth would become clear to him. He was among the most senior and longest-serving emirs, and among those whom the emir held in the greatest esteem. Having only just arrived, he was someone whose goodwill the emir wished to win and whom he wished to honour. He therefore ordered a carpet to be spread in the square.

The Batā’ihiyya had arrived in large numbers, displaying their satanic states: foaming at the mouth, bellowing, shaking their heads and limbs, leaping, crawling, rolling about, and similar objectionable noises and unusual movements. These were contrary to what Luqmān commanded his son when he said:

“Be moderate in your pace and lower your voice.”

When we had taken our seats, with a vast crowd of emirs, scribes, scholars, dervishes, ordinary people, and others present, and their first shaykh—the complainant—had arrived, together with another shaykh