Attaf, a man living in Damascus, is known for his generosity. One night, Harun al-Rashid wakes up feeling serious and goes to the treasury with his vizier, Ja'far, to read a book. While reading, he weeps three times an laughs three times. Ja'far asks why, and the caliph sends him away and tells him to return only when he understands why. Ja'far's father, Yahya, advises him to go to Damascus.