Travel and need → streets of Ṣanʿāʾ → captivating preacher → sermon and verses → gifts → secret departure → pursuit → cave and meal → accusation and anger → defensive poem → identification → astonished return.
The plot moves from words to deeds and finally to revelation. Rhymed prose and wordplay do more than embellish: they reinforce ingenuity, irony and surprise.
Abū Zayd emerges as a multifaceted literary character associated with preaching, eloquence, strategy and wit. The reader must weigh each trait against what the narrative actually shows.