33 Preface كَأَنَّهُ جِمالَتٌ صُفرٌYusuf Ali“As if there were (a string of) yellow camels (marching swiftly).”1The yellow sparks flying swiftly one after another suggest a string of camels marching swiftly, such as the Arabs of Najd and central Arabia are so proud of. There is a double allegory. It refers not only to the colour and the rapid succession of sparks, but to the vanity of worldly pride, as much as to say: “your fine yellow camels in which you took such pride in the world are but sparks that fly away and even sting you in the Hereafter!” Smoke with sparks may also assume fantastic shapes like long-necked camels.