فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى الْجُلَّاسِ وَجَلَسَ فِي أَخْرَيَاتِ النَّاسِ
He greeted those seated and sat at the back of the gathering.
The stranger greets the assembly and sits near the back. Initially this looks incidental, but it lowers expectations before he demonstrates literary skill. His unobtrusive entrance prepares a sharper contrast with his subsequent performance.
Social visibility and intellectual ability are not identical. Someone occupying a marginal seat can take command of the discussion. The sequence—quiet arrival, limited expectations, verbal challenge, recognition—creates the surprise. It also cautions the reader against treating rank or appearance as evidence of competence.