over him, and said to him, "O unhappy Jábalah! will you not return to the Faith? for you certainly had knowledge of the law el-Islám and the excellence thereof."
Then he cried, "How can I return after what I have done?"
I replied, "You certainly can return, for verily a man of Fazâreh did more than you have done. He apostatized from the true faith, and fought against the Muslims with the sword. Afterwards he returned to el-Islám and was received; and I left him at el-Medînah a Muslim."
And I only told him that he who did this deed was of Fazâreh, and that he fought against the Muslims with the sword, and apostatized, and returned to el-Islám, because the man upon whose account Jábalah apostatized when he had struck him, and ʾOmar wished the latter to retaliate, was also a Fazâry. And I added, "It is even easier for you to return to el-Islám, for you have not fought against the Muslims with the sword as did he."
Then he said: "I should like to hear more about this. If you would assure me that ʾOmar would give me his daughter in marriage, and would appoint me
