（Q.）'How comes unbelief to the son of Adam？'（A.）'It is reported of the Prophet that he said'Unbelief runs in a man，as the blood runs in the veinswhen he reviles the world and Time and night and the hour.'And again'Let none of you revile Time，for Time is God；neither the worldfor it saith'May God not help him that reviles me！'neither the hourfor 'Verilythe hour comethwithout doubt；'neither the earthfor it is a portentaccording to the saying of the Most High'From it we created youto it we will return you and from it we will bring you forth yet again.''（Q.）'What are the five that ate and drankyet came not out of loins nor belly？'（A.）'Adam and Simeon and Salih's she-camel and Ishmael's ram and the bird that Abou Bekr the Truth-teller saw in the cave.'
（Q.）'Tell me of five that are in Paradise and are neither mortalsJinn nor angels？'（A.）'Jacob's wolf and the Seven Sleepers'dog and Esdras's ass and Salih's camel and the Prophet's mule.'（Q.）'What man prayed a prayer neither on earth nor in heaven？'（A.）'Solomon [son of David]when he prayed on his carpetborne by the wind.'（Q.）'A man once looked at a handmaid in the morningand she was unlawful to him；butat noondayshe became lawful to him. By mid-afternoon，she was again unlawfulbut at sundownshe was lawful to him.
At evensongshe was a third time unlawfulbut by daybreakshe became once more lawful to him.'（A.）'This was a man who looked at another's handmaid in the morningand she was then unlawful to himbut at midday he bought herand she became lawful to him.
At mid-afternoon he enfranchised herand she became unlawful to himbut at sundown he married her and she was again lawful to him. At evensonghe divorced her and she was then a third time unlawful to himbutnext morningat daybreakhe took her back，and she became once more lawful to him.'（Q.）'Tell me what tomb fared on with him that lay buried therein？'（A.）'The whale，when it had swallowed Jonah.'（Q.）'What spot of ground is it，upon which the sun shone oncebut will never again shine till the Day of Judgment？'（A.）'The bottom of the Red Seawhen Moses smote it with his staffand the sea clove asunder in twelve placesaccording to the number of the tribes；then the sun shone on the bottom and will do so never again till the Day of Judgment.'（Q.）'What was the first skirt that trailed upon the surface of the earth？'（A.）'That of Hagarout of shame before Sarahand it became a custom among the Arabs.'（Q.）'What is that which breathes without life？'（A.）'Quoth God the Most High'By the morningwhen it breathes！'（Q.）'A number of pigeons came to a high tree and lightedsome on the tree and others under it. Said those on the tree to those on the ground'If one of you come up to usye will be a third part of us [all] in number；and if one of us descend to youwe shall be like unto you in number.'How many pigeons were there in all？'（A.）'Twelve： seven alighted on the tree and five beneath.'