THE CALIPH HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE THREE
SLAVE-GIRLS
The Caliph Harun al-Rashid once slept with three slave-girls, a
Meccan, a Medinite and an Irakite. The Medinah girl put her hand
to his yard and handled it, whereupon it rose and the Meccan
sprang up and drew it to herself. Quoth the other, "What is this
unjust aggression? A tradition was related to me by
Málik[FN#117] after Al-Zuhri, after Abdallah ibn Sálim, after
Sa'íd bin Zayd, that the Apostle of Allah (whom Allah bless and
keep!) said: ‘Whoso enquickeneth a dead land, it is his.' And
the Meccan answered, "It is related to us by Sufyán, from Abu
Zanád, from Al-A'araj, from Abu Horayrah, that the Apostle of
Allah said: ‘The quarry is his who catcheth it, not his who
starteth it.'" But the Irak girl pushed them both away and
taking it to herself, said, "This is mine, till your contention
be decided." And they tell a tale of
