1340 — Isa ibn Ali informed us; he said: Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Baghawi informed us; he said: Abu al-Ash'ath Ahmad ibn al-Miqdam narrated to us; he said: I heard Mu'tamir narrating from Marhum al-Attar, who said:

A man came to me and said, “Abu Muhammad, this brother of mine wishes to purchase a slave-girl from so-and-so, and he would like to seek your counsel. Come with us to him.” So we went to him, and he was a wealthy man. While we were with him, we said, “Your slave-girl, so-and-so—this man wishes to inspect her.”

He replied, “Yes. Lunch is ready, so have lunch, and I will bring her out to you.” We said, “Bring us your lunch.” So we ate lunch. Then he said, “No one shall serve you water except the one whom you wish to inspect. Call so-and-so.”

A radiant-looking slave-girl came. He said to her, “Give me water.” So she came ⦗803⦘ with a glass cup and poured him some water. He placed it on the palm of his hand, then raised it to his mouth and said, “Abu Muhammad, some people claim that I am unable to drink this. Do you see any impediment here?” Then he said, “Now, if I do not drink it, do you see anyone compelling me here?” Then he said, “She is free if I do not drink it.”

Thereupon, she struck the cup with the sleeve of her garment; the cup fell, broke, and the water spilled. She left with us, veiled, and came to be called “the adherent of the Sunnah.”