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The Marzban said "How do people under your jurisdiction address you when they write to you?" Afshin replied; "Just in the way they used to write to my father and grandfather." "Then tell us the way." "No, I won't." "Do not the people of Ashrushna write to you in such and such a way?" "Now, does this not mean in Arabic, 'to the high God from his slave so and so?"
Then Afshin said "Let me know as regards this man who is speaking these words whether he is a staunch believer in his own religion." Now the Mobed was a Magian who subsequently received Islam at the instance of the Khalif Mutawakkil and repented of his previous belief. They replied, "No."
Then came forward the Mobed and referring to Afshin said, "This man is used to eating animals that have been strangled and he suggested the eating of it to me alleging that the flesh was more fresh than the flesh of slaughtered animals. And he used to kill a black goat every Wednesday and tearing it up with his sword he would pass through the two halves, and he would then eat the flesh.
Afshin replied, "This was the custom of the people in my father's and grandfather's times and it was also the custom with me before I embraced Islam. And then I did not like that I should lower myself before them. For then I should have lost their allegiance and the obedience that they owed me." Upon this Ishaq Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Musab said, "Fie, fie on you, Hyder."
Its contents are impious with reference to God?" Afshin replied, "This is a book which I have inherited from my father and it contains the manners of the Persians, and as regards the impiety to which you refer I take advantage of the book in so far as the manners are concerned and I leave all the rest. For I don't think the book would make me lose my Islam."
Afshin then asked, "Was I not then introducing you into my private affairs and informing you regarding my Persian nationality and my inclination towards it and towards the people of the race?" "Yes," said the Mobed. Said Afshin, "Now you are not firm in your own religion, and you are not faithful to your promise when you have revealed the secret confided by me to you."
But these two people attacked a shrine which had images in it, a shrine which was at Ashrushna, and they took out the images and turned the shrine into a mosque. I therefore struck them one thousand lashes for this transgression of theirs." Then Muhammad asked Afshin, "What is the book which you have got which you have adorned with gold and gems and brocade?
They then brought Afshin who was yet not in rigorous imprisonment, and there were present people who were prepared to cause Afshin to shed tears. There was nobody in the house belonging to any high position except the sons of Mansur, for, the people had left.
Then turned up Mazyar the chief of Tabaristan and Afshin was asked whether he knew him. He said "No." Mazyar was asked if he knew Afshin. Then they told him that this was Mazyar. "Yes, I know him now." "Did you ever have correspondence with him? No." Then turning to the Marzban they asked, "Did he ever write to you?"
Afshin then said, "What is the meaning of your adducing the evidence of a man who is not firm in his own faith?" Then turning to the Mobed Afshin said, "Was there between your house and my house any door or any hole through which you could look at me and learn my movements?" "No," said the Mobed.
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