The Tale of Princess Fatima, Warrior Woman
Page 13
Ghashim responded by wildly increasing the force of his attacks. He aimed for her chest, and Mazlum feared for his daughter. The amir ʿAbdullah winced, and all the amira’s supporters watched tensely.
As for Zalim and Walid, they were delighted at the display. Zalim leaned over and whispered to Walid, “Dhat al-Himma’s days are numbered! Ghashim will put her in her place, and you will be well rid of her.”
As the blows glanced Princess Fatima, she recoiled, only to spring back, but she ceased to attack Ghashim. As she ran for her horse, she raised her face to the sky: To the One who Knows me, who made the night tranquil and the moon a lamp. She asked for deliverance from the ruthless man behind her and found her energy renewed. As she met Ghashim again, she thrust her sword forward, saying, “Take that, you arrogant brute! I am Fatima, daughter of Mazlum, and I serve none but God!” The blade pierced his chest, emerging from his back.
The amir ʿAbdullah rose and addressed all those who had traveled together from Malatya, urging them to fight Ghashim’s retinue in self-defense. Together they struck, like synchronized fighters, and vanquished Ghashim’s army. They also took back the livestock that Zalim had bestowed on Ghashim.
ʿAbdullah called Zalim and Walid over and said to them, “Listen, you need to recognize the child as legitimate and cease this squabbling and in-fighting. Otherwise, Walid, you will ruin whatever rapport remains between you and Dhat al-Himma.”
“Over my dead body!”
Zalim interjected, “We should enter the house of sanctuary and seek legal advice.”
ʿUqba agreed: “Amir, since we’ve come all this way, it wouldn’t be reasonable to turn around now.”
Princess Fatima accepted this: “All we have to do is present our case clearly, and God will take care of the troublemakers.”
Thus they entered the sacred precinct of Mecca, and stories of the newcomers spread far and wide. No one knew if this Fatima was innocent or guilty. They scrutinized her face and agreed that she seemed highly respectable. Then they looked at her son, ʿAbdelwahhab, with wonder, and their opinions differed about how to explain his color. Everyone spent that night in anticipation of the next day.
That evening, Mazlum said to his daughter, “I know your heart must be heavy, thinking of standing in court in front of representatives from the Hijaz and Iraq. We don’t know how the outcome will determine the rest of our lives. Tell me what you are thinking. I want you to know that you are not alone. Perhaps we should approach some nearby tribes before we stand before the court.
My daughter, court decisions are lasting
My heart fears scandal infinitely
Confide in me
My heart loves you dearly
Your child may be the color of night, but it pales in comparison to
The hell they could decree.
His words brought tears to the amira’s eyes, and she bowed her head. Then she looked up, saying, “Father, even you doubt me, but I blame no one.” Reaching for her sword, she rose to her feet and placed its tip between her breasts. “I could say goodbye now, and make my way toward Hell. I swear by the One who shaped the seas and who lit the sun and moon to be lamps for us, there is not even a glimmer that escapes the notice of the All-Knowing. By the One who sent the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, this is Walid’s child.
My little boy has been blessed with Blackness
What God creates is a Mercy!
After soul-searching prayer, I accept any scandal
I trust that God is sovereign ultimately
But why do I even bother
If you do not believe me?
Mazlum reached forward to stay his daughter’s hand, tears streaming down his face. “You and I are in this together. If you end your life, everyone will conclude that you slept with Marzuq. We will wait and see what tomorrow brings, and hope that justice prevails.” The amira nodded, then went outside to walk around the Kaaba.
She was still there the next morning. The people of Mecca started gathering at the Kaaba, and ʿAbdullah joined them at the head of the Bani Sulaym contingent. Zalim, Walid, and the Bani Kilab riders arrived, and Mazlum and Princess Fatima stood near them. Facing them was a panel of physiognomists, experts in the discernment of character from facial characteristics.4 A moment later, some people arrived carrying young ʿAbdelwahhab on a chair made of fine wood. They had placed him there so that he would be able to see, and so that he would appear as an equal in the gathering. Many eyes settled on him, and Mazlum’s eyes grew damp on seeing his grandson.
Princess Fatima’s sword was tucked away among her garments, ready but not visible. As the amira walked forward, she sensed all eyes upon her. She spoke:
O Kaaba, blessed by your mention in God’s holy book,
There is great reward for all who journey to you
Our Prophet wept when he fled Mecca, but he lived to see the dawn
We come to you with burdens for you to clarify
Weighed down with worries, my heart is nonetheless free
I trust the One who could see even an ant moving through a dark night blindly.
The people were moved by her words, nodding their heads and murmuring blessings on her behalf.
Then Walid stepped forward. Raising his voice, he addressed the gathering:
I appeal to you to clarify matters
My wife has betrayed me
I believed her respectable, but
She committed immorality
Can black come from white?
The evidence shows plainly
Judge between us in regard to
This son of Marzuq and the accompanying folly.
Following Walid’s poetry, the people shouted from every direction for Dhat al-Himma to be able to speak. Princess Fatima rose and made her way through the crowd. She addressed the panel of physiognomists: “Good morning. Thanks be to the One who created all of us. I come to you as a woman who does not bow and scrape in the face of authority. Any success I have achieved has been in the name of justice and decency. This boy is the son of this person who would vainly and stupidly throw me to the wolves. You are experts in discernment—judge between us:
He says I am an immoral woman
That I betrayed him vilely
I pray that God will reveal my innocence in this dark night
May you have clear consciences after your decree.
Then the lead elder spoke: “Today our judgment is simply based on truth. Thanks be to God. As the Prophet said, ‘The child belongs to the bed of marriage,’ thus this boy is the child of Walid. His face clearly resembles that of his father. Certain suspicions entered Walid’s head because of his son’s coloring.5 However, they have the same eyes, bone structure, and hands, even to their fingertips. This is our informed observation. What have you to say for yourself, Walid?”
“Shut your mouth, old man! I don’t know what you’re yammering about. The evidence is very clear!”
The shaykh addressed the people gathered: “Spread some sand on the ground here, and I will turn away. Have Walid, ʿAbdelwahhab, and ten others walk across the sand. I will then identify the footprints of Walid and his son.” The shaykh turned away, and they did as he instructed. When they were finished, he approached the yellow sand. He nodded his head, murmuring a prayer, and then pointed to the footprints of Walid and ʿAbdelwahhab.
Mazlum and Princess Fatima’s other supporters smiled and sighed in relief, but Zalim’s and Walid’s faces darkened. Walid screamed and fell to the ground. When he came to, ʿAbdullah approached him. ʿUqba scoffed at the verdict. Walid sputtered, “He looks nothing like me! He’s not like me! I’ll kill them both!”
Zalim said, “Of course not—he’s the color of a crow! We’ll go elsewhere.” Then the people gathered began protesting and speaking together.
The people of Mecca agreed: “Go to him—he solves the most complex cases. He can find light in the darkness.” They departed, carrying ʿAbdelwahhab, and went to Imam Jaʿfar’s house.
There Mazlum whispered to Princess Fatima, “Patience, my girl!” She nodded. When Jaʿfar appeared, his very appearance exuded dignity. The crowd hushed. Mazlum spoke softly: “Rise, and speak your mind. My heart feels assured!”
Princess Fatima addressed the imam: “Sir, take the hand of an unjustly accused woman! Her friends have decreased in number, and her enemies have increased. Even her father doubted her!” She switched to poetry:
ʿAbdelwahhab is said to be so black
that he was conceived out of wedlock,
but I swear by all that is holy
that I am innocent.
O son of the Prophet’s daughter,
tell us your judgment,
and peace be with you.
Then Walid stood, ripping one of his garments, and delivered his case in verse:
My wife betrayed me,
Showing up with a child dark as night
We’re white, so how did black come from us?
Impossible!
Zalim and ʿUqba spoke in support of Walid, and Mazlum spoke up for Princess Fatima. Then Jaʿfar stood. “Thanks be to Almighty God who created all that is, and who directs our days, and whose mercy and wisdom compelled him to shape humanity just so. He hears and sees all, and in his compassion, he sent us the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. . . .”
Princess Fatima’s heart warmed to hear the imam’s sincerity. Then Jaʿfar turned his face to all those gathered, saying, “Has God’s judgment not revealed that white may come from black, and black from white? This poses no difficulty for God. . . . God says ‘Be,’ and it is. . . . Jesus, the son of Mary, was created with no father at all! Moreover, if a man has intercourse with his wife while she is menstruating, the child will emerge black. For God, blessed and glorious, creates souls, in all their magnificence, from mere droplets, just as trees grow from seeds.”6 The people looked at one another in surprise, but the imam continued. “Walid, when you neared your wife, was she menstruating?”
“Yes.”
The imam brushed his hands together. “Ah, you know, a similar case was brought before my ancestor, the Prophet Muhammad. There was a boy with dark skin whose parents both had light skin. It was determined that the boy was conceived while his mother was menstruating. If a husband has intercourse with his wife early in her menstrual cycle, the child will be reddish in color. However, it appears that you had intercourse toward the end of the menses. You have admitted that your wife was menstruating, and thus the child is yours, whether you choose to accept him into your household or not.” Then the imam rose and approached ʿAbdelwahhab, studying the boy’s face. “This boy shows great bravery. He’s clearly marked for a special purpose.” Jaʿfar said a blessing for the boy.
Then he affirmed that the amira was not guilty of adultery, and she replied briefly in verse, thanking him. Impressed with her eloquence, he said a blessing for her as well. Laying his hand on the head of ʿAbdelwahhab, Jaʿfar wished him peace and victory over his enemies.
Walid stood and left the room. Zalim followed him, his face grim, with ʿUqba trailing behind.
Mazlum rejoiced innocently at the outcome of the trial, smiling at his brother with relief. But Zalim and Walid did not accept the incontrovertible judgment of the imam. As Princess Fatima said farewell to Jaʿfar and stepped outside, she overheard them say, “There is no way in Hell we’ll accept bastard kids!” She drew her sword, saying, “After all that you have heard today, you still have learned nothing. I challenge you to a duel!” Zalim and Walid reached for their swords, but ʿAbdullah rushed over to intervene.
“Enough of this! Now that justice has been served, the case is closed. What more do you want, after you confessed in front of witnesses, Walid? I will see to it that you do not stir up any more trouble.” Then he turned to Mazlum and Princess Fatima and sent with them a retinue to see them safely home. As they rode north, Princess Fatima felt overwhelmed with gratitude.
SWITCHING SIDES1
From Mecca, they headed toward Baghdad. Throughout the journey, ʿUqba stirred up dissatisfaction among Mazlum, Zalim, and Walid, egging them on in their distrust. “Walid, my brother, you don’t need to accept that sham ruling. The caliph will understand if you don’t want to accept that bastard child as yours. The whole thing was a farce. I’ve read all the holy books and studied all the branches of knowledge, but what can one man do when everyone else is misled? It makes me wonder if it wouldn’t be better to just wear the belt and live in Christian lands rather than endure this humiliation!”2
“I’m only going to Baghdad to deal with the slut and her bastard kid, whom they’re trying to push off on me. I’ll just finish them off if I have to. . . . If it wasn’t for them, my dad and I would go straight to Constantinople.”
* * *
—
When they arrived in Baghdad, the riders set up their camp alongside the Tigris River. The caliph sent welcoming greetings and provisions out to them. The next morning, ʿAbdullah rode at the head of a group of representatives from Bani Sulaym. Princess Fatima and her father rode at the head of the representatives from Bani Kilab, and ʿAbdelwahhab sat astride a swift mule beside his mother. Zalim and Walid rode with a retinue of ten men. Together, they approached the palace gate and were granted entry. They dismounted and entered the palace on foot.
The caliph sat on his throne surrounded by his court. With calm gravity, he nodded for ʿAbdullah to step forward. ʿAbdullah did so, bowing low. Princess Fatima and ʿAbdelwahhab stepped forward, following ʿAbdullah’s example, and the court fell silent.
The caliph looked to ʿAbdullah. “Amir, what is it that compelled you all to leave Malatya? What brings you here? What news do you have of the Rum?”
“Your Grace, a legal dispute drew me away from my regular duties.”
“What is the issue?”
ʿAbdullah related the story of ʿAbdelwahhab and his father, Walid, and what had occurred in Mecca. The caliph remained silent, his eyes scanning the group until they rested on ʿAbdelwahhab. “Come here,” he instructed the boy. “Tell me your story. So far I have only heard it from another.” The boy stepped forward, bowing low, and then drew near to the caliph. The caliph reached down and set the boy on his knee. The court gasped, and the caliph inclined his head to one of his counsellors: “What is it?”
“Sir, you told us earlier that you had a dream you wanted to tell us about. You said that in your dream you were with someone and that you felt you were going to meet this person. We thought perhaps . . .”
“Allahu akbar, you’re right! This is the boy I saw in my vision. Last night, after praying the night prayer, I went to bed. Then the Prophet—peace be upon him—appeared to me in my dream. I greeted him, and he told me that he had brought me a gift and was entrusting something to me. I asked what it was, and he silently held out a morsel toward my mouth. At the same time, he held out another morsel to the mouth of a boy. I asked, ‘Who is this boy? Why are you dividing this food between us?’ He replied, ‘This boy has been wronged, but he will do great things. Support him against his enemies.’ I took note of the boy’s face, and I asked, ‘How was he wronged?’ He said, ‘His father had intercourse while his wife was menstruating, and the fetus was made dark.’ I felt sympathy for the child. Later, when I told you of my dream, my concern was relieved. Now the child has appeared in the flesh!” The courtiers’ faces paled, and their eyes grew wide. They spoke among themselves, and some gathered around the boy to embrace him.
ʿAbdulla
h turned to Walid. “Do you want more than this testimony? Or can you now thank God for this blessing? Do you expect God to speak to you directly, as if you were Moses, peace be upon him?”
“I’m not cut out for that.”
The caliph noticed their brief conversation. Intervening, he addressed Walid: “What do you have to say?”
“Sir, even if I were flayed alive, I would not accept a bastard slave child.”
At this, the caliph ordered, “Seize them.” Guards then dragged Walid and his retinue from the room to be imprisoned. ʿAbdullah sighed deeply.
ʿUqba stepped forward and cried, “Praise be to the One who bestowed upon the Muslims our mighty ruler, Amir of the Believers, who lights the lands of Islam and darkens the lands of the heathens.” Then he recited a lineage blessing and concluded with several lines of poetry in praise of the caliph.
The caliph asked ʿAbdullah, “And who is this?”
“Sir, this is my kinsman. He is an imam and a legal scholar.”
The caliph granted ʿUqba a robe of honor. He also called for robes of honor for ʿAbdullah, Dhat al-Himma, Mazlum, and ʿAbdelwahhab. Before they returned to their camp, the caliph ordered a new mount for ʿAbdelwahhab: a fine mule, with a saddle inlaid with gold and rubies. He also sent twenty Black warriors to serve the boy. Two of them were particularly accomplished, their names Nafiʿ and Maymun. Maymun was nicknamed Jamas because he was as strong and fierce as a water buffalo.
As ʿAbdelwahhab rode his new mount at the head of his little army, he found that he already cared about his followers. Princess Fatima was at his side, wearing her new robe of honor. She had also received official ownership of the three small castles surrounding Malatya. ʿAbdelwahhab rode at the front of the Bani Kilab delegation and ʿAbdullah at the head of the Bani Sulaym. However, the latter ran back and knelt before the caliph, asking for mercy to be shown to Walid and his father.