The slave drew his sword, and raised it to strike; but his arm withered, and fell palsied.
The eunuch then motioned to another slave to execute the commission; and he, too, became similarly incapacitated.
Shems then went away of himself, and none dared to pursue him. Two days later, the eunuch died also.
11.
Jelāl’s father, Bahā Veled, had a disciple, who, for some reason, gave offence to Shemsu-’d-Dīn; the latter, in punishment, inflicted a deafness on both the disciple’s ears.
After a time, Shems pardoned the offender, and restored his hearing. But the man bore him a grudge in his heart, nevertheless. One day, Shems said to him: “Friend, I have pardoned thee; wherefore art thou still cast down? Be comforted.” Notwithstanding this, his rancour remained.
One day, however, he met Shems in the midst of a market. Suddenly, he felt a new faith glow within him, and he shouted out: “There is no god save God; Shemsu-’d-Dīn is the apostle of God.”
The market-people, on this, raised a great hubbub, and wished to kill him. One of them came forward to cut him down; but Shems uttered so terrific a shout, that the man at once fell down dead. The rest of the market-people bowed, and submitted.
Shems now took the disciple by the hand, and led him away, remarking to him: “My good friend, my name is Muhammed. Thou shouldest have shouted: ‘Muhammed is the apostle of God.’ The rabble will not take gold that is not coined.”