the ground so that he lands at the foot of the mountain and dies—after first offering him the chance to recant. “If he comes back to our creed, release him; if not, throw him down.”

When they reached the summit they demanded that he abandon his religion, but he refused, for faith had taken firm root in his heart and could not be shaken. As they were about to hurl him over the edge he said, “Allāhumma ikfinīhim bimā shi’ta” (O Allah, spare me from them in whatever way You will). It was the plea of a believer in desperate straits, left open for Allah to decide the means. Allah made the mountain quake beneath them; they fell, perished, and the boy returned to the king.

“What has brought you back? Where are your companions?” the king asked. The boy answered, “Allah has protected me from them.”

The king then handed him to another group and ordered, “Put him on a qarqūr—that is, a ship. When you reach the open sea, offer him the chance to renounce his faith; if he will not, cast him into the water.”

Once they were in mid-ocean they told him to abandon his belief in Allah, but he replied, “No, I refuse.” Then he prayed, “Allāhumma ikfinīhim bimā shi’ta” (O Allah, protect me from them however You will). The vessel capsized, they all drowned, and Allah saved him.

Back he went to the king, who asked, “Where are your companions?” He related what had happened.

The boy then said, “You will never be able to kill me unless you do exactly what I command.” “And what is that?” the king asked. He replied, “Gather all the people on a single plain—every inhabitant of the realm—and tie me to a stake. Then take an arrow from my quiver, place it on the bowstring, shoot me, and say, ‘In the name of Allah, the Lord of this boy.’ If you do that, you will kill me.”

So the king assembled the people on an open plain, bound the boy to a stake, and took an arrow