journeyings, upon a tribe of small folk, who owned naught of the weals
of the world and who dug their graves over against the doors of their
houses and were wont at all times to visit them and sweep the earth
from them and keep them clean and pray at them and worship Almighty
Allah at them; and they had no meat save grasses and the growth of the
ground. So Iskandar sent a man to summon their King, but he refused to
come, saying, "I have no need of him." Thereupon Iskandar went to him
and said, "How is it with you and what manner of men are ye?; for I see
with you forsooth naught of gold or silver, nor find I with you aught
of the weals of the world." Answered the King, "None hath his fill of
the weals of the world." Iskandar then asked "Why do you dig your
graves before your house-doors?"; and the King answered, "That they may
be the prospective of our eye-glances; so we may look on them and ever
renew talk and thought of death, neither forget the world to come; and
on this wise the love of the world be banished from our hearts and we
be not thereby distracted from the service of our Lord, the Almighty."
Quoth Iskandar, "Why do ye eat grasses?"; and the other replied,
"Because we abhor to make our bellies the tombs of animals and because
the pleasure of eating outstrippeth not the gullet." Then putting forth
his hand he brought out a skull of a son of Adam and, laying it before
Iskandar, said, "O Zu al-Karnayn, Lord of the Two Horns, knowest thou
who owned this skull?" Quoth he, "Nay;" and quoth the other, "He who
owned this skull was a King of the Kings of the world, who dealt
tyrannously with his subjects, specially wronging the weak and wasting
his time in heaping up the rubbish of this world, till Allah took his
sprite and made the fire his abiding-site; and this is his head." He
then put forth his hand and produced another skull and, laying it
before Iskandar, said to him, "Knowest thou this?" "No," answered the
conqueror; and the other rejoined, "This is the skull of another King,
who dealt justly by his lieges and was kindly solicitous for the folk
of his realm and his dominions, till Allah took his soul and lodged him
in His Garden and made high his degree in Heaven." Then laying his
hands on Iskandar's head he said, "Would I knew which of these two art
thou." Whereupon Iskandar wept with sore weeping and straining the King
to his bosom cried, "If thou be minded to company with me, I will
commit to thee as Wazir the government of my affairs and share with
thee my kingdom." Cried the other, "Well-away, well-away! I have no
mind to this." "And why so?" asked Iskandar, and the King answered,
"Because all men are thy foes by reason of the wealth and the worlds
thou hast won: while all men are my true friends, because of my
contentment and pauperdom, for that I possess nothing, neither covet
aught of the goods of life; I have no desire to them nor wish for them,
neither reck I aught save contentment." So Iskandar pressed him to his
breast and kissed him between the eyes and went his way.[FN#462] And
among the tales they tell is one concerning
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF KING ANUSHIRWAN.[FN#463]
It is told of Anushirwan, the Just King, that once upon a time he
feigned himself sick, and bade his stewards and intendants go round
about the provinces of his empire and the quarters of his dominion and
seek him out a mud-brick thrown away from some ruined village, that he
might use it as medicine, informing his intimates that the leaches had
prescribed this to him. So they went the round of the provinces of his
reign and of all the lands under his sway and said to him on return,
"In all the realm we have found nor ruined site nor castaway
mud-brick." At this Anushirwan rejoiced and rendered thanks to the
Lord, saying, "I was but minded to try my kingdom and prove mine
empire, that I might know if any place therein remained ruined and
deserted, so I might rebuild and repeople it; but, since there be no
place in it but is inhabited, the affairs of the reign are
best-conditioned and its ordinance is excellent; and its
populousness[FN#464] hath reached the pitch of perfection."—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the high
officials returned and reported, "We have found in the empire nor
ruined site nor rotten brick," the Just King thanked his God and said,
"Verily the affairs of the realm are best-conditioned and its ordinance
is excellent and its populousness hath reached the pink of perfection."
And ken thou, O King, continued Shahrazad, that these olden Kings
strave not and toiled not for the peopling of their possessions, but
because they knew that the more populous a country is, the more
abundant is that which is desired therein; and because they wist the
saying of the wise and the learned to be true without other view,
namely, "Religion dependeth on the King, the King on the troops, the
troops on the treasury, the treasury on the populousness of the country
and its prosperity on the justice done to the lieges." Wherefore they
upheld no one in tyranny or oppression; neither suffered their
dependants and suite to work injustice, knowing that kingdoms are not
established upon tyranny, but that cities and places fall into ruin
when oppressors are set as rulers over them, and their inhabitants
disperse and flee to other governments; whereby ruin falleth upon the
realm, the imports fail, the treasuries become empty and the pleasant
lives of the subjects are perturbed; for that they love not a tyrant
and cease not to offer up successive prayers against him; so that the
King hath no ease of his kingdom, and the vicissitudes of fortune
speedily bring him to destruction. And they tell a tale concerning
THE JEWISH KAZI AND HIS PIOUS WIFE.
Among the Children of Israel one of the Kazis had a wife of surpassing
beauty, constant in fasting and abounding in patience and
long-suffering; and he, being minded to make the pilgrimage to
Jerusalem, appointed his own brother Kazi in his stead, during his
absence, and commended his wife to his charge. Now this brother had
heard of her beauty and loveliness and had taken a fancy to her. So no
sooner was his brother gone than he went to her and sought her
love-favours; but she denied him and held fast to her chastity. The
more she repelled him, the more he pressed his suit upon her; till,
despairing of her and fearing lest she should acquaint his brother with
his misconduct whenas he should return, he suborned false witnesses to
testify against her of adultery; and cited her and carried her before
the King of the time who adjudged her to be stoned. So they dug a pit,
and seating her therein stoned her, till she was covered with stones,
and the man said, "Be this hole her grave!" But when it was dark a
passer-by, making for a neighbouring hamlet, heard her groaning in sore
pain; and, pulling her out of the pit, carried her home to his wife,
whom he bade dress her wounds. The peasant woman tended her till she
recovered and presently gave her her child to be nursed; and she used
to lodge with the child in another house by night. Now a certain thief
saw her and lusted after her. So he sent to her seeking her
love-favours, but she denied herself to him; wherefore he resolved to
slay her and, making his way into her lodging by night (and she
sleeping), thought to strike at her with a knife; but it smote the
little one and killed it. Now when he knew his misdeed, fear overtook
him and he went forth the house and Allah preserved from him her
chastity. But as she awoke in the morning, she found the child by her
side with throat cut; and presently the mother came and seeing her boy
dead, said to the nurse, "Twas thou didst murther him." Therewith she
beat her a grievous beating and purposed to put her to death; but her
husband interposed and delivered the woman, saying, "By Allah, thou
shalt not do on this wise." So the woman, who had somewhat of money
with her, fled forth for her life, knowing not whither she should wend.
Presently, she came to a village, where she saw a crowd of people about
a man crucified to a tree-stump, but still in the chains of life. "What
hath he done?" she asked, and they answered, "He hath committed a
crime, which nothing can expiate but death or the payment of such a
fine by way of alms." So she said to them, "Take the money and let him
go;" and, when they did so, he repented at her hands and vowed to serve
her, for the love of Almighty Allah till death should release him. Then
he built her a cell and lodged her therein; after which he betook
himself to woodcutting and brought her daily her bread. As for her, she
was constant in worship, so that there came no sick man or demoniac to
her, but she prayed for him and he was straightway healed.—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the woman's
cell was visited by folk (and she constant in worship), it befel by
decree of the Almighty that He sent down upon her husband's brother
(the same who had caused her to be stoned), a cancer in the face, and
smote the villager's wife (the same who had beaten her) with leprosy,
and afflicted the thief (the same who had murthered the child) with
palsy. Now when the Kazi returned from his pilgrimage, he asked his
brother of his wife, and he told him that she was dead, whereat he
mourned sore and accounted her with her Maker. After awhile, very many
folk heard of the pious recluse and flocked to her cell from all parts
of the length and breadth of the earth; whereupon said the Kazi to his
brother, "O my brother, wilt thou not seek out yonder pious woman?
Haply Allah shall decree thee healing at her hands!" and he replied, "O
my brother, carry me to her" Moreover, the husband of the leprous woman
heard of the pious devotee and carried his wife to her, as did also the
people of the paralytic thief; and they all met at the door of the
hermitage. Now she had a place wherefrom she could look out upon those
who came to her, without their seeing her; and they waited till her
servant came, when they begged admittance and obtained permission.
Presently she saw them all and recognized them; so she veiled and
cloaked face and body and went out and stood in the door, looking at
her husband and his brother and the thief and the peasant-woman; but
they could not recognize her. Then said she to them, "Ho folk, ye shall
not be relieved of what is with you till ye confess your sins; for,
when the creature confesseth his sins the Creator relenteth towards him
and granteth him that wherefore he resorteth to him." Quoth the Kazi to
his brother, "O my brother, repent to Allah and persist not in thy
frowardness, for it will be more helpful to thy relief." And the tongue
of the case spake this speech,
"This day oppressor and oppressed meet, * And Allah sheweth
secrets we secrete:
This is a place where sinners low are brought; * And Allah
raiseth saint to highest seat.
Our Lord and Master shows the truth right clear, * Though sinner
froward be or own defeat:
Alas[FN#465] for those who rouse the Lord to wrath, * As though
of Allah's wrath they nothing weet!
O whoso seekest honours, know they are * From Allah, and His fear
with love entreat."
(Saith the relator), Then quoth the brother, "Now I will tell the
truth: I did thus and thus with thy wife;" and he confessed the whole
matter, adding, "And this is my offence." Quoth the leprous woman, "As
for me, I had a woman with me and imputed to her that of which I knew
her to be guiltless, and beat her grievously; and this is my offence."
And quoth the paralytic, "And I went in to a woman to kill her, after I
had tempted her to commit adultery and she had refused; and I slew a
child that lay by her side; and this is my offence." Then said the
pious woman, "O my God, even as Thou hast made them feel the misery of
revolt, so show them now the excellence of submission, for Thou over
all things art Omnipotent!" And Allah (to whom belong Majesty and
Might!) made them whole. Then the Kazi fell to looking on her and
considering her straitly, till she asked him why he looked so hard and
he said, "I had a wife and were she not dead, I had said thou art she."
Hereupon, she made herself known to him and both began praising Allah
(to whom belong Majesty and Might!) for that which He had vouchsafed
them of the reunion of their loves; but the brother and the thief and
the villager's wife joined in imploring her forgiveness. So she forgave
them one and all, and they worshipped Allah in that place and rendered
her due service, till Death parted them. And one of the Sayyids[FN#466]
hath related this tale of
THE SHIPWRECKED WOMAN AND HER CHILD.
"I was circuiting the Ka'abah one dark night, when I heard a plaintive
voice, speaking from a contrite heart and saying, 'O Bountiful One, Thy
past boon! Indeed, by my heart shall Thy covenant never be undone.'
Hearing this voice, my heart fluttered so that I was like to die; but I
followed the sound and behold, it came from a woman, to whom I said,
'Peace be with thee, O handmaid of Allah;' whereto she replied, 'And
with thee be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings!' Quoth I,
'I conjure thee, by Allah the Most Great, tell me what is the covenant
to which thy heart is constant.' Quoth she, 'But that thou adjurest me
by the Omnipotent, I would not tell thee my secrets. See what is before
me.' So I looked and lo! there was a child lying asleep before her and
breathing heavily in his slumber. Said she, "Know, that I set forth,
being big with this boy, to make the pilgrimage to this House and took
passage in a ship; but the waves rose against us and the winds blew
contrary and the vessel broke up. I saved myself on a plank; and, on
that bit of wood, I gave birth to this child; and while he lay on my
bosom and the waves beating upon me,'"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the woman
continued, "'Now while the boy lay on my bosom and the waves beat upon
me, there swam up to me one of the sailors, who climbed on the plank
and said, 'By Allah, I desired thee whilst thou wast yet in the ship,
and now I have come at thee: so yield thy body to me, or I will throw
thee into the sea.' Said I, 'Out on thee! hast thou no memory of that
which thou hast seen and is it no warning to thee?' Quoth he, 'I have
seen the like of this many a time and come off safe and care not.'
Quoth I, 'O fellow, we are now in a calamity, whence we hope to be
delivered by obedience to Allah and not by disobedience.' But he
persisted with me, and I feared him and thought to put him off; so I
said to him, 'Wait till this babe shall sleep'; but he took the child
off my lap and threw him into the sea. Now when I saw this desperate
deed, my heart sank and sorrow was sore upon me; so I raised my eyes
heavenwards and said, 'O Thou that interposest between a man and his
heart, intervene between me and this leonine brute; for Thou over all
things art Omnipotent!' And by Allah, hardly had I spoken when a beast
rose out of the sea and snatched him off the plank. When I saw myself
alone my sorrows redoubled and my grief and longing for my child, and I
recited,
'My coolth of eyes, the darling child of me * Is lost, and racked
my heart with agony;
My body wrecked, and red-hot coals of love * Burning my liver
with sore pangs, I see.
In this my sorrow shows no gleam of joy; * Save Thy high grace
and my expectancy:
Hast seen, O Lord, what unto me befel; * My son aye lost and
parting pangs I dree:
Take ruth on us and make us meet again; * For now my stay and
only hope's in Thee!'
I abode in this condition a day and a night; and, when morning dawned,
I caught sight of the sails of a vessel shining afar off, nor did the
waves cease to drive me and the winds to waft me on, till I reached the
ship, whose sails I had sighted. The sailors took me up and I looked
and behold, my babe was amongst them: so I threw myself upon him and
said, 'O folk, this is my child: how and whence came ye by him?' Quoth
they, 'Whilst we were sailing along the seas the ship suddenly stood
still and lo! that which stayed us was a beast, as it were a great
city, and this babe on its back, sucking his thumbs. So we took him
up.' Now when I heard this, I told them my tale and all that had
betided me and returned thanks to my Lord for His goodness, and vowed
to Him that never, whilst I lived, would I stir from His House nor
swerve from His service; and since then I have never asked of Him aught
but He hath given it me.' Now when she had made an end of her story
(quoth the Sayyid), I put my hand to my alms-pouch and would have given
to her, but she exclaimed, "Away from me, thou idle man! Have I not
told thee of His mercies and the graciousness of His dealings and shall
I take an alms from other than His hand?" And I could not prevail with
her to accept aught of me: so I left her and went away, reciting these
couplets
'How many boons conceals the Deity, * Eluding human sight in
mystery:
How many graces come on heels of stresses, * And fill the burning
heart with jubilee:
How many a sorrow in the morn appears, * And turns at night-tide
into gladdest gree:
If things go hard with thee some day, yet trust * Th' Eterne, th'
Almighty God of Unity:
And pray the Prophet that he intercede; * Through intercession
every wish shalt see.'
And she left not the service of her Lord, cleaving unto His House, till
death came to her." And a tale is also told by Mαlik bin Dνnαr[FN#467]
(Allah have mercy on him!) of
THE PIOUS BLACK SLAVE.
"We were once afflicted with drought at Bassorah and went forth sundry
times to pray for rain, but saw no sign of our prayers being accepted.
So I went, I and 'Itaa al-Salamν and Sαbit al-Banαni and Naja al-Bakαa
and Mohammed bin Wαsi'a and Ayyϊb al-Sukhtiyαni and Habνb al-Farsi and
Hassαn bin Abi Sinαn and 'Otbah al-Ghulαm and Sαlih al-Muzani,[FN#468]
till we reached the oratory,[FN#469] when the boys came out of the
schools and we prayed for rain, but saw no sign of acceptance. So about
mid-day the people went away and I and Sabit al-Banani tarried in the
place of prayer till nightfall, when we saw a black of comely face,
slender of shank[FN#470] and big of belly, approach us, clad in a pair
of woollen drawers; if all he wore had been priced, it would not have
fetched a couple of dirhams. He brought water and made the minor
ablution, then, going up to the prayer-niche, prayed two inclinations
deftly, his standing and bowing and prostration being exactly similar
in both. Then he raised his glance heavenwards, and said, 'O my God and
my Lord and Master, how long wilt Thou reject Thy servants in that
which offereth no hurt to Thy sovereignty? Is that which is with Thee
wasted or are the treasuries of Thy Kingdom annihilated? I conjure
Thee, by Thy love to me forthwith to pour out upon us Thy rain-clouds
of grace!' He spake and hardly had he made an end of speaking, when the
heavens clouded over and there came a rain, as if the mouths of
waterskins had been opened; and when we left the oratory, we were
knee-deep in water,"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Sixty-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "hardly had he
spoken when the heavens clouded over and there came a rain, as if the
mouths of waterskins had been opened. And when we left the oratory we
were knee-deep in water, and we were lost in wonder at the black. So I
accosted him and said to him, 'Woe to thee, O black, art thou not
ashamed of what thou saidst?' He turned to me and asked, 'What said
I?'; and I, 'Thy saying to Allah, 'By Thy love of me;' and what giveth
thee to know that He loveth thee?' Replied he, 'Away from me, O thou
distracted by the world from the care of thine own soul. Where was I,
when He gave me strength to profess the unity of the Godhead and
vouchsafed unto me the knowledge of Him? How deemest thou that He aided
me thus except of His love to me?' adding, 'Verily, His love to me is
after the measure of my love to Him.' Quoth I, 'Tarry awhile with me,
so may Allah have mercy on thee!' But he said, 'I am a chattel and the
Book enjoineth me to obey my lesser master.' So we followed him afar
off, till we saw him enter the house of a slave-broker. Now the first
half of the night was past and the last half was longsome upon us, so
we went away; but next morning, we repaired to the slave-dealer and
said to him, 'Hast thou a lad to sell us for service?' He answered,
'Yes, I have an hundred lads or so and they are all for sale.' Then he
showed us slave after slave; till he had shown us some seventy; but my
friend was not amongst them, and the dealer said, 'These are all I
have.' But, as we were going out from him we saw a ruinous hut behind
his house and going in behold, we found the black standing there. I
cried, ''Tis he, by the Lord of the Ka'abah!' and turning to the
dealer, said to him, 'Sell me yonder slave.' Replied he, 'O Abu Yahya,
this is a pestilent unprofitable fellow, who hath no concern by night
but weeping and by day but repentance.' I rejoined, 'It is for that I
want him.' So the dealer called him, and he came out, showing
drowsiness. Quoth his master, 'Take him at thine own price, so thou
hold me free of all his faults.' I bought him for twenty dinars and
asked 'What is his name?' and the dealer answered 'Maymun, the monkey;'
and I took him by the hand and went out with him, intending to go home;
but he turned to me and said, 'O my lesser lord, why and wherefore
didst thou buy me? By Allah, I am not fit for the service of God's
creatures!' Replied I, 'I bought thee that I might serve thee myself;
and on my head be it.' Asked he, 'Why so?' and I answered, 'Wast thou
not in company with us yesterday in the place of prayer?' Quoth he,
'And didst thou hear me?'; and quoth I, 'It was I accosted thee
yesterday and spoke with thee.' Thereupon he advanced till we came to a
mosque, where he entered and prayed a two-bow prayer; after which he
said, 'O my God and my Lord and Master, the secret that was between me
and Thee Thou hast discovered unto Thy creatures and hast brought me to
shame before the worldling. How then shall life be sweet to me, now
that other than Thou hath happened upon that which is between Thee and
me? I conjure Thee to take my soul to Thee forthright.[FN#471] So
saying, he prostrated himself, and I awaited awhile without seeing him
raise his head; so I shook him and behold, he was indeed dead, the
mercy of Almighty Allah be upon him! I laid him out stretching his arms
and legs and looked at him, and lo! he was smiling. Moreover, whiteness
had got the better of blackness on his brow, and his face was radiant
with light like a young moon. As we wondered at his case, the door
opened and a young man came in to us and said, 'Peace be with you! May
Allah make great our reward and yours for our brother Maymun! Here is
his shroud: wrap him in it.' So saying, he gave us two robes, never had
we seen the like of them, and we shrouded him therein. And now his tomb
is a place whither men resort to pray for rain and ask their
requirements of Allah (be He extolled and exalted!); and how
excellently well saith the poet on this theme,
'The heart of Gnostic[FN#472] homed in heavenly Garth *
Heaven decks, and Allah's porters aid afford.
Lo! here they drink old wine commingled with *
Tasnνm,[FN#473] the wine of union with the Lord.
Safe is the secret 'twixt the Friend and them; *
Safe from all hearts but from that Heart adored.'"
And they recount another anecdote of
THE DEVOUT TRAY-MAKER AND HIS WIFE.
There was once, among the Children of Israel, a man of the worthiest,
who was strenuous in the service of his Lord and abstained from things
worldly and drave them away from his heart. He had a wife who was a
helpmate meet for him and who was at all times obedient to him. They
earned their living by making trays[FN#474] and fans, whereat they
wrought all through the light hours; and, at nightfall, the man went
out into the streets and highways seeking a buyer for what they had
made. They were wont to fast continually by day[FN#475] and one morning
they arose, fasting, and worked at their craft till the light failed
them, when the man went forth, according to custom, to find purchasers
for his wares, and fared on till he came to the door of the house of a
certain man of wealth, one of the sons of this world, high in rank and
dignity. Now the tray-maker was fair of face and comely of form, and
the wife of the master of the house saw him and fell in love with him
and her heart inclined to him with exceeding inclination; so, her
husband being absent, she called her handmaid and said to her,
"Contrive to bring yonder man to us." Accordingly the maid went out to
him and and called him and stopped him as though she would buy what he
held in hand.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.