«فَخَلَجَ قَلْبِي أَنَّ أَبَا زَيْدٍ هُوَ الْمُشَارُ إِلَيْهِ»
It occurred to me that the person indicated might be Abū Zayd.
A clue connecting the elder with Sarūj prompts al-Ḥārith to suspect that the man may be Abū Zayd. The phrase *fa-khalaja qalbī* conveys an inward stirring or suspicion, not a formal demonstration of identity.
Close reading keeps clue, inference, and confirmation separate. A place of origin can make an identification plausible without proving it. The narrative deliberately uses that interval of uncertainty, allowing the narrator to wonder before the later personal encounter settles the matter.
StageState of identificationReceipt of slipNo identity establishedClue of SarūjPlausible identificationLater meetingStronger confirmation