Prologue

Know oh Believer that in the vast ocean of gleaming sands that is Arabia there are several gushing springs of pristine water that sustain the sprawling kingdoms of the Muslims. To the north, Kareemiya with its fleet-footed Arabian stallions and its slave markets, to the west Ashmunein known for its flowery poetry and domed architecture, to the east the garden paradise of Safina, and in the heart of Arabia, Samarkand - rich in gold and jewels, fertile land and bustling sea-ports.