MuhammadAli,governorofEgyptundertheOttomanEmpireintheearly19thcentury,wasdirectedtopunishtheWahhabiswhohaddefiedtheSultan'scommand.HehaddifficultysubjugatingtheareacalledNejd.
Oneday,hefoundhimselfsittingwithhisgenerals,eachofwhomdeclaredthatifgivencommandhecouldeasilyconquerNejd.Aliroseandplacedanappleinthecentreofalargecarpet.“ThetaskofconqueringNejdisdifficult,”hesaid.“It'slikeseizingthisapplewithoutsettingfootonthecarpet.ThemanwhocandosoisthemancapableofcapturingNejd.”
Asthegeneralsfailedtocomeupwithasolution,Ali'ssonIbrahimPashaapproachedthecarpet,andbeganrollingitup.Reachingtheapple,hegraspeditwithease.Hewasappointedcommander,andfinallycapturedNejd.