Here he hired
a handsome house, which he furnished with carpets and cushions
and hangings, and stored his goods therein and put up his mules
and camels. Then he abode awhile, resting, whilst the merchants
and notables of Baghdad came and saluted him; after which he took
a parcel containing ten pieces of costly stuffs, with the prices
written on them, and carried it to the bazaar, where the
merchants received him with honour and made him sit down in the
shop of the chief of the market, to whom he delivered the parcel
of stuffs. He opened it and taking out the stuffs, sold them for
him at a profit of two dinars on every one of prime cost. At this
Ghanim rejoiced and went on to sell his stuffs, little by little,
for a whole year. On the first day of the following year, he
repaired, as usual, to the bazaar in the market-place, but found
the gate shut and enquiring the reason, was told that one of the
merchants was dead and that all the others had gone to wail in
his funeral and was asked if he were minded to gain the favour of
God by going with them. He assented and enquired where the
funeral was to be held, whereupon they directed him to the place.
So he made the ablution and repaired with the other merchants to
the place of prayer, where they prayed over the dead, then went
before the bier to the burial-place without the city and passed
among the tombs till they came to the grave.
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