Original content

English translation

One night a fire broke out in the great congregational mosque of Cairo and it burned. The Muslims suspected that the Christians had set it, and in retaliation they threw fire into the Christians' houses. The Sultan of Egypt arrested the group who had thrown fire into the houses, gathered them in one place, and ordered that slips be written equal to their number: on some was written execution, on some the cutting off of a hand, and on some flogging. These slips were scattered over them, and whatever slip fell to each man, he was dealt with according to its contents. A slip whose contents were execution fell to a certain man. He said: I have no fear of being killed, but I have a mother and she has no one but me. Beside him stood another man whose slip was flogging; he gave his own slip to that man and took the man's slip, saying: I have no mother. So this one was executed in the other's place, and that one was flogged in his place. With silver and gold one can perform an act of chivalry; Happy is he who performed chivalry with his very life. When he recognized his friend's need of his life, He made his own life a sacrifice for his friend's life.