The Dabistan

his being like the Messiah? He answered : u What
" the mother said, is the truth,"1

SECTION II. — ON THE DISPUTE OF THE PEOPLE OF

DIFFERENT RELIGIONS.

In the service of the khalifah were two learned
persons, the one a Sonnite, and the other a Shiah,
who both sought admittance at court. The empe-
ror called them, and by their desire in his presence
they endeavored to establish the truth of their re-
spective religions. The Shiah said : " It is evident
" that the Sonnites are without faith, because they
" do not acknowledge the prophet's purity, and say
" that David caused Uria to be killed." The Son-
nite replied: " This fact is equally mentioned in the
" Koran and in the Tourit, ' Pentateuch/ explicitly
" and circumstantially." A Jew was present, and
affirmed:c' It is certainly in the Pentateuch." Upon
which the Shiah rejoined: " The Pentateuch is al-
" tered." The Jew retorted: " We may as well,
"'and with a better right, say that your book is
" altered, whilst there is no reason to be urged that
t4 the Pentateuch is corrupted." The Shiah had

1 The author does not mention any particular miracle, which we had
reason to expect from the preceding title of this section.