Historical Tales and Anecdotes of the Time of the Early Khalifahs/The young Bedawy who fulfilled his Promise

by Muhammad Diyab al-Atlidi

 

THE YOUNG BÉDAWY WHO FULFILLED
HIS PROMISE.

SHÁRAF-ED-DÎN-HUSEIN, the son of Riyân, relates: "Marvellous are the anecdotes which I collected, and wonderful are my reminiscences of the excellent things which I noted down from one who was present at the Council and heard the words of ʾOmar-ibn-el-Khattâb, the Khalîfah of el-Islám."

He stated that one day whilst the Imâm was sitting in council with some of the chief of the Associates, and others to whom he referred for judgment and advice, and whilst he was giving his decisions in causes, and issuing his commands among his subjects, a young man of comely appearance and in clean attire, appeared, in the grasp of two other young men, also well-favoured and well-dressed, who dragged and pulled him until they brought him in, and placed him before the Amîr-el-Muʾmanîn. And when they thus stood in his presence the Amîr looked at the two young men and at the other, and then commanded them to take their hands off him. Upon this they drew near and said: "O Commander of the Faithful! we are brethren, sons of the same mother and father, and are accustomed to speak strictly the truth. Our father was a sheikh advanced in years, excellent in administration, respected among his tribes, free from vice, known by his virtues. When we were children he educated us; when we grew older he treated us with consideration, and amassed for us a large inheritance. As it is said:

Had there lived amongst men one other father like our father,
The world would have grown rich in virtues.

This morning he went out into his garden to enjoy himself amongst the trees, and while he there gathered the ripe fruits this youth killed him and turned from the way of righteousness. And we ask from you the retaliatory retribuion for his crime,^[1] and the decree for the same according to that which God has revealed to you." (i.e., in the Kurân.)

The historian then relates that ʾOmar looked upon the young man and said to him: "Verily you have heard. What is your answer?"

And at this the youth's heart was calm and void of apprehension. Truly he flung off the garment of fear, and cast aside the mantle of trepidation. Then he smiled like a pearl,^[2] and speaking with a most eloquent tongue, saluted the Prince in beautiful language. Then he went on, saying: "O Commander of the Faithful! by Allâh! they have well recollected in making their plaint; and have spoken truly in what they have said; and have made known that which took place; and have described that which occurred. And I will now recount my story before you, and judgment thereupon rests with you.

"Know, O Commander of the Faithful! that I am an Arab of the Arabs.^[3] I was reared in the dwellings of the desert, and years of misfortune darkened my life. So I came to the outskirts of this city with my household, and my goods, and my children. I followed one of its roads which led me between gardens, having with me she-camels, beloved by me, dear to me; and amongst them a he-camel of noble race, the sire of a large progeny, of beautiful form, an excellent breeder, who walked in their midst like a crowned monarch. One of the she-camels approached a garden over the wall of which trees were visible that she could reach with her lips. So I drove her away from that garden, when lo! an old man appeared, panting with rage. And mounting on the wall he presented himself, carrying in his right hand a stone, and raving like a furious lion. Then he struck the he-camel with the stone, and killed him—it fell on a fatal spot. But when I saw the camel fall on his side and roll over, live coals of rage were kindled within me. I seized the very same stone and struck the sheikh with it, and that was the cause of his end. He met evil in his turn, and the man was slain by that with which he slew. After that he had cried a great cry, and had screamed a terrible scream for help, I hastened from the spot. But haste was of no avail against these two young men. They laid hold of me and brought me here as you see me."

Then said ʾOmar: "Behold! you have confessed the crime you have committed, and your acquittal is impossible, and retaliation is imperative, and there is now no refuge."

Then said the young man: "I obey that which has been decreed by the Imâm, and am satisfied with what the law of el-Islám ordains. But I have a little brother whose aged father before his decease left exclusively to him a great deal of wealth and much gold. And on his death-bed the old man brought him into my presence, and committed his affairs to me, and said, 'This is in your keeping for your brother; take it and guard it zealously.' And upon that I made choice of a spot for burying it, and placed it there. And no one knows of it except myself, and if you order my immediate execution the gold will be lost, and you will have been the cause, and the child will demand his reckoning from you on the day when God shall judge between His creatures. But if you will grant me a delay of three days, I shall have nominated some one to take charge of the boy's affairs, and will return obedient to the rein. And I know one who will guarantee these my words."

Then ʾOmar lowered his eyes and was silent. Presently he looked at those who were near, and asked, "Who will stand surety for him, and for his return to this place?" Then the young man studied the countenances of the spectators of the Council, and pointed towards Abu-Zarr,^[4] amongst those who were present, and said, "This one will answer for me, and will become my surety."

Said ʾOmar: "O Abu-Zarr! wilt thou become surety for these words?"

He replied: "Yes, I will be answerable for him for three days."

And the two young men, the accusers, were satisfied with the suretyship of Abu-Zarr, and granted the delay determined upon.

But when the time had expired, and the hour was at hand, if not already past, they again presented themselves at the Council of ʾOmar, who was seated, with the Associates around him, like stars around the moon. Abu-Zarr was also present, and the accused alone was absent.

Then said the two young men: "Where is the culprit, O Abu-Zarr? How shall he who has fled return? Thou shalt not quit this place without redeeming thy pledge."

Then said Abu-Zarr: "By the truth of the Omniscient King! when the whole of the three days shall have elapsed, if the young man does not appear, I will redeem my pledge and resign myself, so help me God!"

Then said ʾOmar: "By Allâh! if the young man delays, I will surely execute upon Abu-Zarr what the law of el-Islám ordains."

At these words tears fell from the eyes of the spectators, and sighs for Abu-Zarr broke from all who were present; and great was the sorrow, and deep the regret.

Then some of the chief of the Associates suggested to the two young men to take the price of blood, and so obtain the praise bestowed upon those who are merciful. But they would none of it, and refused everything excepting vengeance for him who had been slain.

And while thę people were swaying to and fro with grief at what was passing, and commiserating Abu-Zarr, lo! the young man approached, and stood before the Imâm, whom he saluted with a perfect salutation. And his countenance was radiant as the rising sun, and shone with sweat. And he cried, "Behold! I made over the boy to the care of his mother's brethren, and acquainted them with the secret of his condition, and discovered to them the place of his property. Then I hastened here, in the heat of the sun, to fulfil the obligation of a true-born man."

And the people marvelled at his honesty and fidelity, and at his intrepidity in meeting death. But he said, "He who acted perfidiously was not pardoned by the man who had him in his power. But upon the one who was faithful the avenger had pity, and pardoned him. And I was also certain that when death presented itself, there was no guarding against it by flight. And let it not be said, Fidelity has gone from among men."

Then said Abu-Zarr, "By Allâh! O Amîr-el-Muʾmanîn! of a truth I stood surety for this young man, though I neither knew to what people he belonged, nor had seen him before that day. But he looked towards me only amongst those who were present, and turned towards me, and said, 'This one will be surety for me.' And it did not seem right to refuse him; and humanity forbad that his hopes should be frustrated when there was no harm in consenting to his wish, lest it should be said, Goodness has gone from among men."

Thereupon said the two young men: "O, Amîr-el-Muʾmanîn! verily we give our father's blood to this young man, that his trouble be changed into gladness—lest it should be said, Benevolence has gone from among men."

Then the Imâm rejoiced that the young man had received pardon, and at his truth and fidelity. And he declared the humanity of Abu-Zarr to be greater than that of any of the Associates seated with him. And he approved the benevolent intention of the two young men, and praised them in the warmest terms. And he quoted this couplet:

He who doth good shall not want for his rewards;
That which he hath done will be forgotten by neither God nor men.

Then he proposed to them that he should pay theprice of their father's blood out of the Treasury.^[5] But they said, "Surely we have pardoned desiring to please God the Merciful; and he who proposes this to himself must carry out his benevolence neither dishonourably nor injuriously."

The historian adds: "So I inscribed this in the collection of Marvellous Tales, and inserted it in the 'Accounts of Wonders.'"

 

1. Wilful murder, though one of the most enormous crimes that can be committed, is yet allowed to be compounded for, on payment of a fine to the family of the deceased, and freeing a Muslim from captivity. The next of kin, however—or, in the language of the Bible, "the revenger of blood"—has the option of accepting or refusing such satisfaction, and may insist on having the murderer delivered into his hands to be put to death. Manslaughter must be redeemed by fine, and the freeing of a captive; which atonement if a man be unable to make, he must fast two months together by way of penance. The fine for a man's blood is set down in the Súnnah, or Traditions of the Prophet, at a hundred camels, to be distributed amongst the relations of the deceased. If the person slain be a Muslim of a nation or party at enmity or not in confederacy with those of the slayer, the redemption of a captive is declared a sufficient penalty.
2. That is, he opened his mouth slightly to laugh, and exposed white teeth like pearls. I may mention here that the people of the East have always been intense admirers of the beauty of youth—and which is in truth the kind of beauty that most appeals to a pure heart. Even in the streets of Cairo one may see a mother or other relative take up a little child, and exclaim, "O thy youth! O thy youth!" (Yâ shabâbak! yâ shabâbak!)
3. That is, an Arab of Arab descent, and not mustʾaráb—that is, made an Arab by lapse of time, and birth in Arabia, though the original progenitor was not of Arabia. (See Note *, p. 79.)
4. Abu-Zarr, el-Ghifâry, one of the chief of the Associates of the Prophet.
5. Bait-el-Mâl el Muslimîn: a treasury into which was paid—a fifth part of the spoils of war—the remainder of the wealth of one dying without heirs and leaving no will, after payment had been made of his debts—tribute levied on conquered countries—duties imposed upon foreign merchants—and taxes claimed from foreign settlers in Muhammadan cities. From it were paid—soldiers—men of learning—those who committed the Kurân to memory—the descendants of holy men—the expenses of fortifications, bridge-building, and the materials of war—poor and needy persons, and destitute orphans—and the funeral expenses of paupers. Such was the Bait-el-Mâl in the palmy days of el-Islám.