King Haroun-er-Raschid answered, "He certainly ought to release him, on account of my orders."
"O prince of believers," answered the servant, "the Koran says, 'He who has a burden shall not bear another's.'"
Then the King said: "Set the man free, for this must cover his case, and means that the innocent should not perish for the guilty."
They tell that, a pundit appearing one day before the Sultan Ismail Samani, King of the country of Khorassan, the Sultan received him with great distinction, and at his departure saluted him most respectfully and escorted him to the door, taking seven steps behind him.
The next night he dreamed that the glorious prophet (with whom be peace!) spoke thus to him: "O Ismail, because you honored one of my pundits, I will pray God that after you seven of your children and grandchildren shall become great and glorious kings." They say that for many years the kingdom of Khorassan flourished under the paternal government of the successors of this Sultan.
The Sultan Abdallah Tlahir, as soon as he had taken possession of the throne of Khorassan, received the homage of a large number of his subjects. At the end of several days he asked, "Is there anyone of distinction in the country who has not come to present himself before me?" They told him, "There are two persons that have not come, one named Ahmed Arab, and the other named Mahomet Islam. But these two men never present themselves before kings and ministers."
The Sultan replied, "Since they will not come to find kings and ministers, I must go to them." So one day the Sultan repaired to the house of Ahmed Arab. The latter, immediately arising, remained standing a long time facing the Sultan. Then regarding him fixedly he said to him: "O Sultan, I had heard tell of your beauty, and I now see that they spoke the truth. Make not of that body the embers of hell." Saying this he returned to his prayers. The Sultan Abdallah Tlahir went away from the sheik's house weeping.
He then betook himself to the house of Mahomet Islam. At the news that the Sultan was coming to see him, the sheik shut the door of his house, saying: "I ought not to see him. I ought not to speak to him."
The Sultan departed in tears and said: "Friday, when the sheik goes to the mosque I will go to him."
When Friday came he was on horseback, surrounded by soldiers, awaiting the arrival of the sheik. As soon as he perceived him, he dismounted, approached him on foot, and saluted him. The sheik asked: "Who are you? What do you want of me?"