«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 litigants appearing before a judge establish a lawsuit, not its truth. The real issue requires a claimant, an opposing party, an alleged loss and a requested remedy.
In this episode a needle receives human-like attributes. Such figurative language may be ingenious but does not eliminate the judge’s need for a clear factual explanation.
Applied question
What cannot be replaced by an eloquent pleading alone?