And at three miles' distance she descended from her animal and approached on foot. And King Solomon said to his soldiers, "Who will bring me her bed before she has arrived here and professed el-Islám?" (And this he said, because after that she had professed el-Islám he could not seize her possessions, and also that he might show her his miraculous power.) Then said an ʾAfrit,[1] "I will bring it to thee, O King! ere thou hast risen from council" (now the council sat from dawn until noon); "and I am courageous and faithful." "It must be sooner than that," said King Solomon. Then said el-ʾAsîf, the King's scribe, "I will bring it before thou canst close thine eyes." And he added, "Look towards el-Yémen." So the King turned his head in that direction, and el-Asîf inwardly prayed to Allâh, and Allâh sent an angel who brought the bed through the ground in an instant. And the ground sank in front of King Solomon, and lo! the bed rose therefrom. And when he saw that it was the bed, he said to his people, "Change the position of
- ↑ The term ʾAfrît is generally used to designate an evil or malicious jinn. But the ghosts of dead persons are also called ʾAfrîts.
