‘Know that to follow God’s law is of advantage to those who do it. Love your brother if this is what he is like, and do not break with him. If you see in him something you dislike, he is not like a wife to whom you can return after divorcing her. Rather, his heart is like glass which, when broken, cannot be mended. How eloquent was the poet who said:
Take care not to wrong hearts;
When they have shied off, they will not return,
For then they are like shattered glass
Which cannot be repaired.’
Before ending her speech, the girl gestured to us and said: ‘Wise men have said that the best of brothers are the most severe in their advice; the best actions are those that lead to the fairest results and the best of praise is what is on the mouths of men. It has been said that the worshipper should not neglect to thank God for two favours in particular – health and intelligence. It has also been said that whoever has a sense of his own honour despises his lusts; whoever magnifies small misfortunes will be afflicted by God with great ones; whoever obeys his own desires fails to perform his duties; and whoever follows the slanderer loses his friend. If a man thinks well of you, see to it that his opinion is justified; whoever takes enmity too far, commits a sin; and whoever does not guard against injustice is not safe from the sword.
‘I shall now tell you something of the good qualities of judges. A sound judgement is of no use until the case has been proved. A judge must treat all people alike, so that the upper classes may not be tempted to do wrong and the weak may not despair of justice. The burden of proof should be on the claimant and the defendant should be made to swear an oath. Compromise is possible between Muslims except where it leads to the permitting of a forbidden act or the banning of what is allowed. If you have a problem today, turn your mind to it again and you will find the right way to lead you back to truth. Truth is an obligation and to return to it is better than to persist in error. You should take note of precedents, understand what has been said, and treat both sides equally, fixing your eyes on the truth and entrusting your affair to the Great and Glorious God. The burden of proof is on the claimant and if he produces this, the case should be settled in his favour, while, if not, the defendant should be made to swear an oath. This is the decree of God. Accept the evidence of upright Muslims, one against the other, for Almighty God has ordered judges to judge by externals, while He Himself is responsible for what is secret. No judge should make decisions while suffering from extreme pain or hunger. In the decisions that he gives his object must be to serve Almighty God. If his intentions are pure and he is honest with himself, God will protect him in his dealings with the people.
‘According to al-Zuhri, there are three faults for which a judge should be dismissed: if he shows honour to the ignoble, if he is fond of praise, and if he dislikes the thought of being dismissed. ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz once dismissed a judge, who then asked him why. “I have heard,” replied ‘Umar, “that you talk more loftily than your position warrants.” It is said that Alexander the Great said to his judge: “I have given you a position in which I have entrusted you with my soul, my honour and my manhood. Guard it with your life and your intelligence.” To his cook he said: “You are in charge of my body; treat it as well as you would treat yourself.” He told his secretary: “You are in charge of my intelligence. Protect me in whatever you write on my behalf.” ’
The first girl then withdrew and the second came forward.
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the eightieth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that the vizier Dandan told Dau’ al-Makan that the first girl then withdrew and the second came forward. HE WENT ON:
She kissed the ground seven times in front of the king, your father, and said: ‘Luqman told his son: “There are three types of man that can only be recognized in three contexts – the clement man in the context of anger, the brave man in war, and your brother when you need him. The wrongdoer, it is said, will be filled with regret, even if people praise him, while whoever is wronged will be unhurt even if people blame him.” God Almighty has said: “Do not consider that those who rejoice in their deeds and like to be praised for what they have not done are secure from punishment. Theirs is a painful punishment.”* The Prophet – on whom be blessing and peace – has said: “Actions are judged by intentions and to each man is attributed what he intended.” He also said: “In the body there is one part whose soundness means that the whole body is sound, but if it is corrupt, the whole body is subject to corruption. This is the heart, the most marvellous organ of man, as it is by means of it that he controls his affairs. If he is moved by covetousness, he will be destroyed by greed; if he is under the sway of grief, sorrow will kill him; if his anger rages, he will fall prey to violent destruction; and if he is fortunate enough to win approval, he is secure against anger. If he is afraid, he will be preoccupied by sorrow; if he is overtaken by some misfortune, he will be in the grip of anxiety; should he gain wealth, he may be distracted from the recollection of his Lord; if poverty chokes him, care will distract him; and if anxiety wears him out, weakness will hold him back. In all circumstances, he can only thrive through the remembrance of God, busying himself with earning his living and striving for salvation.” A learned man was asked: “Who is the happiest of men?” He answered: “He whose manliness overcomes his lust, whose ambition reaches far into the heights, whose knowledge is extensive, and who makes few excuses.” How excellent are the lines of Qais:
I am far removed from being a busybody
Who thinks others wrong while he himself is not right.
Wealth and natural qualities are loans;
Each man is clothed by what he conceals within his heart.
When you approach an affair through what is not its proper gate,
You go astray, while, entering by the gate, you will be rightly guided.’
The girl continued: ‘As for accounts of the ascetics, Hisham ibn Bishr has said: “I asked ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubaid what was true asceticism. He replied: ‘This was shown clearly by the Apostle of God – may God bless him and give him peace – where he said: “The ascetic is one who has not forgotten the corruption of the grave and who chooses what remains in preference to what passes away; who does not consider tomorrow to be one of the days of his life and who numbers himself among the dead.” ’ ” Abu Dhurr is quoted as saying: “Poverty is dearer to me than riches and sickness than health.”
‘To which one of his audience replied: “May God have mercy on Abu Dhurr! My own view is that whoever relies on the excellence of the choice made by Almighty God should be content with whatever condition God has chosen for him.” A reliable authority has said: “Ibn Abi Aufa led us in the morning prayer and recited: ‘You who are enwrapped’* until, when he reached God’s words ‘when the trumpet sounds’, he fell down dead.” Thabit ibn Bunani is said to have wept until he almost lost his eyesight. A man brought in to treat him said that he would do this only on condition that Thabit would obey him. “In what?” asked Thabit. “In agreeing to stop weeping,” said the doctor. “What virtue is there in my eyes,” asked Thabit, “if they cannot weep?” A man once asked Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah for counsel…’
Nights 81 to 100
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the eighty-first night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that THE VIZIER DANDAN SAID TO DAU’ AL-MAKAN:
The second girl told your late father: ‘A man once asked Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah for counsel. To which he replied: “I counsel you to be an ascetic king in this world and a greedy slave with regard to the next.” “How is that?” the man asked. “Whoever is an ascetic in this world,” replied Muhammad, “possesses both this world and the next.” Ghauth ibn ‘Abd Allah has said: “There were two brothers among the Israelites, one of whom asked the other: ‘What is the most perilous th
ing that you have ever done?’ His brother replied: ‘I once passed by a chicken coop from which I took a chicken. I put it back, but not among the ones from whom I had taken it. This is what has caused me most fear.’ He then asked his brother what he had done and his brother said: ‘When I rise to pray, I am afraid lest I only do that for the reward.’ Their father, who had been listening to what they were saying, then said: ‘Oh my God, if they are telling the truth, take them to Yourself.’ These two, according to one of the wise men, were among the most virtuous of children.”
‘Sa‘id ibn Jubair has said: “I was in the company of Fudala ibn ‘Ubaid and I asked him for counsel. ‘Remember these two points that I tell you,’ he said: ‘Do not associate anything with God and do not injure any of God’s creatures.’ He then recited these lines:
Be as you wish, for God is generous;
Banish care, for here there is no harm
Except in two crimes which you must not commit:
To associate anything with God and to do people harm.”
‘How excellent are the words of the poet:
If you have not provision of piety,
And when you die you meet with one who has,
You will regret that you were not like him,
And did not watch the future as he did.’
The second girl now withdrew and the third girl came forward and said: ‘The field of asceticism is vast, but I shall mention some of what I know about the pious men of old. A master of religious lore once said: “I look forward to death, although I am not certain that it will give me rest. But I know that death is interposed between a man and his works, and I hope that my good deeds may be doubled and my evil deeds cut away.” When ‘Ata al-Sulami ended an exhortation, he would shiver, tremble and weep bitterly. When he was asked why, he said: “This is a grave action on which I am embarking, for I shall have to stand before Almighty God to be judged as to whether I acted in accordance with the counsel that I gave.” This was why ‘Ali Zain al-‘Abidin used to tremble when he stood up to perform the prayer. He said, on being asked about this: “Do you know for Whom I am standing and Whom I am addressing?”
‘It is said that a blind man lived near Sufyan al-Thauri. In the month of Ramadan, he would go out to join with those who were praying, but he would stay silent and hang behind. Sufyan said: “On the Day of Resurrection this man will come with the people of the Quran and they will be distinguished by marks of special honour from all others.” Sufyan also said: “Were the soul properly lodged in the heart, the heart would flutter for joy and longing for Paradise and for grief and fear of hellfire.” It is reported of Sufyan that he also said: “It is a sin to look on the face of an evil-doer.” ’
The third girl then retired and the fourth came forward and announced that she was going to tell some stories that she knew of the pious. She went on: ‘It is reported of Bishr al-Hafi that he said: “I heard Khalid saying: ‘Beware secret polytheism.’ ‘What is that?’ I asked him. He replied: ‘It is when one man goes on bowing and prostrating himself for so long that he becomes ritually impure.’ ” A master of religious lore has said: “The doing of good deeds expiates evil ones.” Ibrahim ibn Adham once said: “I asked Bishr al-Hafi to teach me some of the hidden truths. ‘My son,’ he said, ‘this knowledge is not to be taught to everyone but only to five in every hundred, like the alms tax on cash.’ ” Ibrahim went on: “I thought that this was a good and excellent reply. Then, while I was praying, I suddenly saw Bishr, who was also praying, and so I stood behind him, bowing until the call of the muezzin. Then a shabby-looking man stood up and said: ‘O people, beware of truth that brings harm, while there is no harm in a lie that brings some benefit; necessity allows no choice; speech is of no help when coupled with privation; and silence does no harm in the presence of generosity.’ ” Ibrahim continued: “I saw Bishr drop a daniq, so I came to him and handed him a dirham in its place. He refused to accept it, although I told him that I had come by it perfectly legally. He said: ‘I am not going to exchange the goods of this world for those of the next.’ ” There is a story that Bishr’s sister went to Ahmad ibn Hanbal…’
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the eighty-second night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that THE VIZIER DANDAN TOLD DAU’ AL-MAKAN:
The fourth girl told your father: ‘Bishr’s sister once went to Ahmad ibn Hanbal and said to him: “Imam of the Faith, we are people who spin at night and work for our living by day. Sometimes the torches of the officers of the city guards pass by while we are on the house roof and we spin by their light. Is this something that is forbidden us?” “Who are you?” he asked. “I am the sister of Bishr al-Hafi,” she answered. “I can always see the light of piety in the hearts of your family,” he said. A master of religious lore has said: “When God wishes to confer good on one of His servants, He provides an opportunity for him to act.” When Malik ibn Dinar went through the market and saw something he wanted, he used to say: “Patience, my soul. I shall not agree to what you want.” He also said (may God be pleased with him): “Your soul’s salvation lies in your refusing its wishes, and its misfortune lies in your following them.”
‘Mansur ibn ‘Ammar has said: “I went on pilgrimage one year, approaching Mecca by the road from Kufa. It was a dark night and suddenly I heard a voice crying out in the darkness: ‘My God, I swear by Your glory and grandeur that I never intended to disobey You by my recalcitrance, nor am I ignorant of You. From past eternity You decreed that I should commit this fault, so forgive me for what has happened, as it was through my ignorance that I transgressed.’ On finishing his prayer, he recited the Quranic verse: ‘You who believe, protect yourselves and your families from a fire that burns both men and rocks.’* I then heard the sound of a fall, but I did not know what it was and so I walked on. The next day, as we were going on our way, out came a funeral procession behind which walked a feeble old woman. I asked her about the dead man and she replied: ‘On this bier is a man who passed us yesterday when my son was standing praying. My son recited a verse of the holy Quran, and then this man’s gall bladder burst and he fell down dead.’ ” ’
The fourth girl then withdrew and the fifth came forward and said: ‘I shall tell you some stories that I have heard of virtuous men of past ages. Maslama ibn Dinar used to say: “If men’s secret hearts are set right, then sins, small and great, will be forgiven, and when one of God’s servants makes up his mind to abandon sin, he will be granted victory.” He also said: “Every benefit that does not bring you closer to God is a misfortune; a small quantity of worldly goods distracts you from the great rewards of the next world, while a great quantity of them makes you forget even the small rewards to come.”
‘When Abu Hazim was asked: “Who is the most prosperous of men?” he replied: “The man who has passed his life in obedience to God.” Then, when he was asked who was the stupidest, he said: “The man who has sold his own afterlife for the worldly goods of someone else.” It is told of Moses – upon whom be peace – that when he came to the water of Midian, he said: “My Lord, I am in need of the good things that You send down on me,” addressing his petition to God and not to men. Two girls then came and he drew water for them, although the shepherds had not yet finished with it. When they got home, they told this to their father, Shu‘aib – upon whom be peace. “The man may be hungry,” said Shu‘aib, and he told one of them to go back and invite him home. When she came to him, she covered her face and said: “My father invites you home to reward you for having drawn water for us.” Moses was reluctant and did not want to follow her. She was a woman with large buttocks, and as the wind was blowing her dress, Moses could see them. He lowered his eyes and said: “Follow behind me and I shall go in front.” She then walked behind him until he came to Shu‘aib – upon whom be peace – when supper was ready.’
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say.
Then, when it was the eighty-third night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that THE VIZIER TOLD DAU’ AL-MAKAN:
The fifth girl told your father: ‘Moses came to Shu‘aib when supper was ready. Shu‘aib told Moses that he wanted to reward him for having drawn water for the girls. “I am of a family that sells nothing that has been done to win the next world for this world’s gold and silver,” said Moses. “Young man,” replied Shu‘aib, “you are my guest, and my custom and that of my fathers is to entertain guests with food.” So Moses sat down and ate. Shu‘aib then hired his services for eight pilgrimage seasons – that is, eight years – promising him in return marriage to one of his daughters, with the work done by him serving as her dowry. He said, as God Almighty told of him: “I wish to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine, on condition that you serve me for eight pilgrimage seasons. If you complete ten seasons, that is your choice, as I do not wish to be hard on you.”*
The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights: Volume 1 Page 55