delay in this affair arose, on account of settling the proper order of march and other proceedings.” The Shiâh went on: “What the Sonnites attribute to God and the prophet, cannot be ascribed to the lowest man.” The Sonnite asked: “What is that?” The Shiâh answered: “One of these things, stated in the book of your traditions, is that the lord prophet, having exhibited before Aâisha dance and disport, asked her: ‘Art thou satisfied?’ Such a thing cannot in truth be said of any body without disgrace. Besides, there are acts unbecoming of the prophet’s companions, such as Omar’s preventing Muhammed’s last will, and the like, avowed by themselves in their book; and yet they hold these men in high esteem!” Here the Sonnite observed: “What thou first settest forth about the prophet’s exhibition of disport, is nothing shameful; as to what thou sayest about bad customs, they belong only to thy own vicious opinion. Deniest thou that the prophet has said: ‘I am sent to settle the customs and manners.’ “If a fact has not existed or has not happened, why should it have been recorded?” The Shiâh called out: “It has been invented and formed into a lie.” The Sonnite objected: “Thus, according to thy opinion, the master of truth, Bokhari and the like, are tellers of lies, and thus they have transmitted lies! Why then, on their authority believest thou that Omar has prevented the making of the last will, and other such things, which, according to thee throw blame upon the companions of the prophet? Therefore, in whatever of all these things according to thy opinion is unbecoming, thou shoulst believe that the master of truth, Bokhâri, and those like him, have told lies, so wouldst thou cease to cast reproach upon the companions and friends of the prophet; but if they spoke truth, then reckon also to be true, what they have attributed as praise-worthy to the prophet, and true what they have stated of the virtues of the said companions. Further, as to thy separating the prophet from mankind, it belongs, as it has been revealed by the divine text, to the creed of unbelievers to say, that the prophet should not eat nor drink.” Now the Shiâh grew warm, and said: “Is it not enough to attach to the lord prophet the blame of having listened to music and assisted at dancing; and now thou pretendest to prove the purity of the two Shaikhs (Abubekr and Omar) and of Osmán!” The Sonnite took up the controversy: “I said before that listening to music is reasonably not blamable, and even laudable, when a lawgiver also listens to it, and I observed, concerning customs and manners, that thou esteemest bad what thou hast badly understood. As thou refusest to approve dancing, what sayest thou about the interdiction of a woman from her spouse at the desire of the prophet?[45] If thou holdest the example of customary acts reprehensible, there is nothing to be said about such an occurrence. And likewise, if the two Shaikhs had not been pure, the lord prophet