It happened once upon a time that a certain man had reached a considerable age, and as his hair and beard had turned white, he had also acquired a reputation for wisdom. As he was not a talkative person, his reputation remained unblemished, and even grew.

Every so often, some young person in the village would ask him how he had become so wise. Usually, he would try to change the subject, but if he were pressed, he would say, “Well… I know what is in the Qur’an.”

Several times this happened, and finally, one day, when he again answered “I know what is in the Qur’an,” someone, perhaps a simpleton, or maybe someone more clever, asked, “Yes, but Baba, what IS in the Qur’an?”

“Oh,” said the old man brightly, “that is easy. Two pressed flowers and a letter from a friend in Damascus.”