The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 306 pages of information about The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06.

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 306 pages of information about The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06.

      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 Suwa’a and Yaghus,[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 become thy slaves; so command us what thou wilt, for we are to thee audient and obedient and we will never depart from thee, since Allah hath guided us into the right

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The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.