«رَأَيْتُ مِنْ أَعَاجِيبِ الزَّمَانِ أَنْ تَقَدَّمَ خَصْمَانِ إِلَى قَاضِي مَعَرَّةِ النُّعْمَانِ»
I witnessed one of the marvels of the age: two disputants appeared before the judge of Maʿarrat al-Nuʿmān.
Two opponents appear before a judge. The needle is described with human-like qualities: personification makes an ordinary tool appear as a loyal agent.
The language of litigation invokes loss and compensation, but eloquent presentation is not proof of a genuine dispute. The later revelation reframes the complaint.