The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
of Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace!”—And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say,
When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sam sam’s
tribesmen rushed upon Gharib as one man, he ran at them crying, “God is
most Great! Help and Victory for us and shame and defeat for the
Miscreant!” Now when the Infidels heard the name of the All-powerful
King, the One, the All-conquering, whom the sight comprehendeth not,
but He comprehendeth the sight,[FN#347] they looked at one another and
said, “What is this say that maketh our side-muscles tremble and
weakeneth our resolution and causeth the life to fail in us? Never in
our lives heard we aught goodlier than this saying!” adding, “Let us
leave fighting, that we may ask its meaning.” So they held their hands
from the battle and dismounted; and their elders assembled and held
counsel together, seeking to go to Gharib and saying, “Let ten of us
repair to him!” So they chose out ten of their best, who set out for
Gharib’s tents. Now he and his people had alighted and returned to
their camp, marvelling at the withdrawal of the Infidels from the
fight. But, presently, lo and behold! the ten came up and seeking
speech of Gharib, kissed the earth before him and wished him glory and
lasting life. Quoth he to them, “What made you leave fighting?”; and
quoth they, “O, my lord, thou didst affright us with the words thou
shoutest out at us.” Then asked Gharib, “What calamity do ye worship?”;
and they answered, “We worship Wadd and Suwá’a and Yaghús,[FN#348]
lords of the tribe of Noah”; and Gharib, “We serve none but Allah
Almighty, Maker of all things and Provider of all livings. He it is who
created the heavens and the earth and stablished the mountains, who
made water to well from the stones and the trees to grow and feedeth
wild beasts in word; for He is Allah, the One, the All-powerful Lord.”
When they heard this, their bosoms broadened to the words of
Unity-faith, and they said, “Verily, this be a Lord high and great,
compassionating and compassionate!”; adding, “And what shall we say, to
become of the Moslems, of those which submit themselves to Him?” Quoth
Gharib, “Say, There is no god but the God and Abraham is the Friend of
God.’” So the ten made veracious profession of the veritable religion
and Gharib said to them, “An the sweet savour of Al-Islam be indeed
stablished in your hearts, fare ye to your tribe and expound the faith
to them; and if they profess, they shall be saved, but if they refuse
we will burn them with fire.” So the ten elders returned and expounded
Al-Islam to their people and set forth to them the path of truth and
creed, and they embraced the Faith of Submission with heart and tongue.
Then they repaired on foot to Gharib’s tent and kissing ground between
his hands wished him honour and high rank, saying, “O our lord, we are
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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