When the king’s wife saw Hasan, she became very fond of him and also of his mother. On the king’s orders a large palace was quickly built for him, and when he took up residence there, his mother used to stay with him for days on end before returning home. So the queen said to her husband: ‘Hasan’s mother cannot stay with her son and leave her husband, the vizier, nor can she stay with her husband, leaving her son.’ ‘That is true,’ said the king, and he gave orders for a third palace to be built next to the palace of Hasan. This was done within a few days and, on the king’s instructions, ‘Ali’s possessions were moved to the new palace, where he took up residence. The three palaces were interconnected and when the king wanted to talk with his vizier, he could walk to his palace at night or send for him, and the same was true of Hasan and his mother and father.
They continued to lead an enjoyable and pleasant life together…
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the four hundred and thirty-third night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that the king, the vizier and his son continued to lead an enjoyable and pleasant life together for some time, until the king fell ill. When his condition worsened, he summoned his principal officers of state and said: ‘I am gravely ill and as this illness may prove fatal, I have brought you here in order to consult you, so advise me on what you think is the proper course.’ They asked: ‘On what point is it that you want advice from us, your majesty?’ He said: ‘I am old and ill and I am afraid that after my death my kingdom may be attacked by enemies. I want you all to agree on one man for whom I can have the oath of allegiance taken as my successor, while I am still alive, so that you may feel easy about the matter.’ They replied unanimously: ‘We would all be content with the husband of your daughter, Hasan, the son of the vizier ‘Ali. We have seen his intelligence and perfect understanding, and he knows the position of everyone, both great and small.’ ‘Perhaps you are saying this in my presence out of deference, but behind my back you say something else.’ ‘By God,’ they all said, ‘what we say openly and in secret is one and the same thing, and we will accept him willingly and cheerfully.’ ‘If that is so,’ said the king, ‘order the qadi who decides matters of religious law, together with all the chamberlains, legates and officers of state, to present themselves before me tomorrow so that we may settle the matter in the proper fashion.’ ‘To hear is to obey,’ they said, and they then left to brief all the religious scholars and the leading emirs.
The next morning, they arrived at court and sent a message to the king asking leave to enter. When this had been granted, they went in, greeted him and said: ‘We are all here in your presence.’ So the king said: ‘Emirs of Baghdad, who will you be content to have as your king to succeed me, so that I can confirm him as my heir before I die in the presence of you all?’ They all said: ‘We are agreed on Hasan, son of the vizier ‘Ali, the husband of your daughter.’ The king then said: ‘If that is so, then go, all of you, and bring him before me.’ They all rose, and after going to Hasan’s palace they told him to come with them to the king. When he asked why, they told him: ‘This is for something that will be good both for us and for you.’ He accompanied them to the king and kissed the ground before him. ‘Sit, my son,’ said the king, and when he had taken his seat, the king went on: ‘All the emirs have approved of you and have agreed to appoint you as their king after my death. My intention is to nominate you as my heir while I am still alive in order to have the matter settled.’
At that, Hasan got up, kissed the ground before the king and said: ‘Your majesty, some of the emirs are older and senior in rank to me, so allow me to decline.’ The emirs, however, insisted that they would only be satisfied with him as their king. ‘My father is older than me,’ said Hasan. ‘He and I are one and the same thing, and it would not be right for me to be placed ahead of him.’ ‘Ali, however, replied: ‘I approve of nothing except what my brother emirs agree on, and as they are unanimous in their choice of you, you should not disobey the king’s command or go against the choice of your brothers.’ Hasan looked down at the ground out of diffidence towards the king and his father. The king then asked the emirs: ‘Are you content with him?’ ‘We are,’ they said, and they all recited the opening sura of the Quran seven times. ‘Qadi,’ said the king, ‘draw up a legal document confirming that these emirs have agreed to the transfer of power to Hasan, the husband of my daughter, and that he is to be their king.’ This the qadi did, and he signed the document after they had all taken the oath of allegiance to Hasan as king, as had the old king himself, who then told Hasan to take his seat on the throne. Everyone rose and kissed the hands of King Hasan, son of the vizier, in a show of obedience to him. His judgements that day were exemplary and he distributed splendid robes of honour to the officers of state.
The court was then dismissed and Hasan went to his father-in-law and kissed his hands. ‘Hasan,’ said the old king, ‘in the treatment of your subjects display piety towards God.’
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the four hundred and thirty-fourth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that when the court was dismissed, King Hasan went to his father-in-law and kissed his hands. ‘Hasan,’ said the old king, ‘in the treatment of your subjects display piety towards God.’ ‘I shall achieve success through your blessing, father,’ replied Hasan. He then went to his palace, where he was met by his wife and her mother, together with their servants, who all kissed his hands and congratulated him on his office, exclaiming: ‘This is a blessed day!’ From his own palace he then went to that of his father, where there was great rejoicing at the favour God had bestowed on him by entrusting him with the kingship. His father enjoined him to fear God and to show compassion towards his subjects, and after spending a happy and joyful night, the next morning he performed the ritual prayer, recited the specified portion of the Quran, and then went to his court. All his troops and officials were present; in delivering his judgements he ordered what was good and forbade what was evil, and he appointed some to office and deposed others. This went on until the end of the day, when the court was dismissed with due ceremony and the troops, together with everyone else, went off on their way.
Hasan then returned to the palace, where he found his father-in-law gravely ill. When Hasan wished him well, he opened his eyes and called his name. ‘Here I am,’ said Hasan, and the old king said: ‘I am near my end. Look after your wife and her mother; fear God and be dutiful towards your parents. Live in fear and awe of God, the Judge, and know that He orders you to act with justice and charity.’ ‘To hear is to obey,’ replied Hasan. The old king lived for three more days but was then gathered to the mercy of Almighty God. They prepared his body, covered him with a shroud, and recited the Quran, both in sections and in full, over his grave for a total of forty days. Hasan then ruled alone. His subjects were delighted with him and the days of his reign were filled with joy. His father continued to serve as principal vizier at his right hand, and he appointed a second vizier at his left. Everything was well ordered and Hasan remained as king of Baghdad for a long time. His wife, the old king’s daughter, presented him with three sons, who inherited the kingdom after his death. They lived the pleasantest and happiest of lives, until they were visited by the destroyer of delights and the parter of companions – praise be to the Eternal God, Who has the power both to destroy and to establish.
The story is told that one of the Meccan pilgrims woke after a long sleep to find no trace of his companions. He got up and began to walk, but lost his way and, after a short while, he caught sight of a tent, by whose entrance an old woman was sitting, with a dog sleeping at her side. He went up to the tent, greeted the old woman and asked her for something to eat. She told him: ‘Go to that wadi there and catch as many snakes as will be enough for you and I’ll cook them as a meal for you.’ ‘I wouldn’t dare to catch snake
s, and I have never eaten them in my life.’ ‘I’ll go with you and catch them,’ said the old woman, ‘so don’t be afraid.’
She then went off with him, followed by the dog, and when she had caught as many snakes as she needed, she started to boil them. The man saw no alternative to eating them as he was afraid of becoming emaciated by hunger. After eating, he felt thirsty and so he asked the old woman for water to drink. ‘There is the spring in front of you,’ she said, ‘so drink from it.’ When he went to it he found its water was bitter, but he was so thirsty that he could see no alternative to drinking it. When he had done this, he went back to the old woman and expressed his surprise that she should stay in such a place…
Nights 435 to 454
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the four hundred and thirty-fifth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that the thirsty pilgrim drank from the spring of bitter water and then went back to the old woman. He expressed his surprise that she should stay in such a place, where she had to eat this kind of food and drink this kind of water. ‘What is your country like?’ she asked. ‘We have spacious and roomy houses,’ he told her, ‘delicious ripe fruits, fresh water in abundance, fine food, fatty meat, many sheep and goats, together with all good things and such blessings as are only to be found in the Paradise which Almighty God describes as being reserved for his pious servants.’ ‘I have heard of all that,’ the old woman said, ‘but tell me, are you subject to a sultan who rules you unjustly and if any one of you is guilty of some fault, the sultan seizes his wealth and ruins him, while if he wants he can drive you from your house and uproot you?’ ‘That may well be,’ the man replied, and the old woman said: ‘Then, by God, that delicious food, that pleasant lifestyle and those pleasures, when combined with injustice and oppression, are deadly poison, while our food, eaten with safety, is a theriac. Haven’t you heard that, next to Islam, the greatest of blessings are health and security, and these come about through the justice and good administration of the sultan, who is God’s vice-regent on earth? In the old days, the rulers required only the minimum of prestige, in that when their subjects saw them, they automatically feared them, whereas nowadays rulers want all-embracing authority and total respect, as the present generation is not like its predecessors. This is the age of the ugly and puffed-up, who are characterized by stupidity and cruelty, full of hatred and hostility. If, which God forbid, they have a weak ruler, or one with no sound policy or dignity, then that is bound to lead to the destruction of his country. The proverb has it that a hundred years of injustice on the part of the sultan is better than one year’s worth of injustice inflicted by the people on each other. When the people are unjust, God sets over them an unjust and tyrannical ruler.’
History has recorded that a note was once passed to al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf on which was written: ‘Fear God and do not treat His servants so oppressively.’ He was an eloquent man, and when he had read the note, he went up into the pulpit and said: ‘O people, Almighty God has appointed me as your ruler because of your own actions.’
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the four hundred and thirty-sixth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that when al-Hajjaj had read the note, he went up into the pulpit – and he was an eloquent man – and said: ‘O people, Almighty God has appointed me as your ruler because of your own actions. Even if I die, you will not be freed from injustice, because of your evil deeds. Almighty God has created many people like me and if you do not have me, you will have someone who does more evil with greater injustice and harsher violence, as the poet has put it:
All power is overshadowed by the power of God;
There is no wrongdoer who will not suffer at another’s hands.
Injustice is to be feared while justice is the best of all things. We pray that God may set our affairs to rights.’
A story is told that there was a man of importance in Baghdad, well off in respect of both money and property, one of the great merchants to whom God had granted worldly prosperity but not the children for whom he longed. Time passed and he had neither daughters nor sons; he grew old and frail; his back was bent and both his feebleness and his cares increased. He was afraid that his wealth and his property would be wasted if he had no son to inherit them and to preserve his name. He presented his entreaties to Almighty God, fasting by day and standing in prayer by night. He made vows to the Living and Eternal God, visited the pious and increased the number of his supplications. God then answered his prayers, taking pity on his complaint. A few days later he lay with one of his women, who conceived on that same night. After the months of her pregnancy were completed, she gave birth to a boy like a segment of the moon.
In gratitude to Almighty God, his father fulfilled his vows, gave alms and clothed widows and orphans. Seven days after his birth, the child was named Abu’l-Husn. He was suckled by wet nurses and cradled by dry nurses; mamluks and eunuchs carried him until he grew up and flourished. He studied the glorious Quran, the precepts of Islam, the tenets of true religion, calligraphy, poetry, arithmetic and archery. He was unique and unrivalled in his age, with a handsome face and an eloquent tongue. He swayed evenly as he walked, proud and haughty in his coquetry, with his red cheeks, his gleaming forehead and his darkening down. A poet, describing him, said:
The downy spring now comes in view,
But how can roses bloom when spring has gone?
Do you not see what grows upon his cheek?
Here is a violet showing through the leaves.
For a time he stayed with his father enjoying the pleasantest of lives, while for his part his father was delighted with him. Then one day, when he had grown to manhood, his father made him sit down in front of him and said: ‘My son, my life is nearly at an end. Death is close at hand and it only remains for me to meet the Great and Glorious God. I have left enough for you, your children and grandchildren in the way of money, estates, properties and orchards. Fear God, my son, in respect of all I have left to you, and only follow those who can help you.’
Shortly after this he fell ill and died. His son gave him a splendid funeral and then went home, where he sat mourning for him day and night. His friends came in to see him and said: ‘Whoever has left behind an heir like you has not died; what has gone has gone and mourning is only suitable for girls and women kept in seclusion.’ They went on pressing him until they accompanied him to the baths and brought his mourning to an end.
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the four hundred and thirty-seventh night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that Abu’l-Husn’s friends came to the baths with him and brought his mourning to an end. He then forgot his father’s injunctions, and, bemused by his wealth, he thought that his prosperity would remain unchanged and that his riches would never be exhausted. He ate, drank and enjoyed himself; he distributed costly robes and gifts; he was liberal with his gold; he was constantly eating chicken, breaking the seals on wine bottles, hearing wine gurgling out of its flasks and listening to songs.
This went on until his wealth and prosperity had gone and he found, to his dismay, that he had lost everything, the one thing remaining being a slave girl who had been part of the inheritance left him by his father. This was a girl of unparalleled beauty, grace, radiance and perfection, symmetrically formed, with a grasp of all kinds of learning and culture, who surpassed all the people of his age in her attractive qualities. Her fascination shone more brightly than a beacon; she surpassed the other beauties both in what she knew and in what she did; she swayed elegantly, and at five foot in height she was a child of good fortune. The sides of her forehead were like the new moon of Sha‘ban; she had arching eyebrows, eyes like those of a gazelle, a nose like a sword edge, cheeks like red anemones, a mouth like Solomon’s seal and tee
th like a string of pearls. Her navel could hold an ounce of frankincense, but her waist was more slender than the body of an emaciated lover worn away by concealing his love, while her buttocks were heavier than sand hills. To sum up, in her beauty and grace she was worthy of being described in the poet’s lines:
When she comes forward,
Her beautiful figure enchants,
But when she turns her back,
She kills her lovers by rejection and abandonment.
She is a sun, a full moon or a bough;
To be harsh or distant is not in her nature.
The garden of Eden lies beneath the collar of her shirt,
And the circuit of the moon is found above her necklace.
This fourteen-year-old girl was like the rising moon or a grazing gazelle, putting the sun and moon to shame, as the eloquent poet has skilfully put it:
She is like the full moon, after the passing
Of five days, then five and then four.
It is not my fault that she has made me
Look like the moon when it first appears.
Her skin was clear and her breath scented, as though she had been formed of fire and fashioned of glass. Her cheeks were rosy and her figure symmetrical, as a poet described:
She walks proudly, gleaming like gold in yellow robes,
Silver, rose red, coloured like sandalwood.
She is a garden flower or a pearl
The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights: Volume 2 Page 35