"Yes, O Muʾâwiyah!" she replied. "But one should be held excused who only did as I did for the sake of right."
"But what moved thee to it?" he asked. And upon her answering, "Love for ʾAly, and following after truth," he exclaimed, "By Allâh! thou dost not appear to have received much favour from ʾAly." Whereupon she cried, "God be my witness before thee, O Muʾâwiyah! Do not recall days gone by."
"Go to!" said Muʾâwiyah, "I suffered nothing at the hands of thy brother, for it was impossible for such as thou, or one in his position, to harm me."
"Thou speakest truly, O Muʾâwiyah," she replied; "yet was my brother's estate neither mean nor blush-worthy. And, by Allâh! he resembles that saying of el-Khansâ,
Sakhrâ is a beacon to the leaders of caravans,
As were he a mountain crowned with fire.[1]
And I crave pardon, O Muʾâwiyah, if I have done anything requiring forgiveness."
- ↑ That is, that his hospitality attracted strangers to him from all quarters.
el-Khansâ was a celebrated poetess of the tribe of Sulaim. Sakhrâ was her brother, in whose praise she composed many poems. She professed el-Islám in the early days of Muhammadism, and was much esteemed by the Prophet.
