THE CALIPH OMAR BIN AL-KHATTAB AND THE
YOUNG BADAWI
The Sharif Husayn bin Rayyán relateth that the Caliph Omar bin
Al-Khattáb was sitting one day judging the folk and doing justice
between his subjects, attended by the best and wisest of his
counsellors, when there came up to him a youth comely and cleanly
attired, upon whom two very handsome youths had laid hold and
were haling by the collar till they set him in the presence.
Whereupon the Commander of the Faithful, Omar, looked at him and
them and bade them loose him; then, calling him near to himself,
asked the twain, "What is your case with him?" They answered, "O
Prince of True Believers, we are two brothers by one mother and
as followers of verity known are we. We had a father, a very old
man of good counsel, honoured by the tribes, sound of baseness
renowned for goodliness, who reared us tenderly in childhood, and
loaded us with favours in manhood;"--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the two
youths said to the Commander of the Faithful, Omar son of Al-
Khattab, "Our father was a man honoured by the tribes, sound of
baseness and renowned for goodliness, who reared us delicately in
childhood and loaded us with favours in manhood; in fine, a sea
of noble and illustrious qualities, worthy of the poet's praise,
‘Is Aub's-Sakr of Shaybán[FN#144]?' they asked; *
Quoth I, ‘Nay, by my life, of him's Shaybán:
How many a sire rose high by a noble son, *
As Allah's prophet glorified Adnan!'[FN#145]
Now he went forth this day to his garden, to refresh himself
amongst its trees and pluck the ripe fruits, when this young man
slew him wrongously and swerved from the road of righteousness;
wherefore we demand of thee the retribution of his crime and call
upon thee to pass judgement upon him, according to the
commandment of Allah." Then Omar cast a terrible look at the
accused youth and said to him, "Verily thou hearest the complaint
these two young men prefer; what hast thou in reply to aver?"
But he was brave of heart and bold of speech, having doffed the
robe of pusillanimity and put off the garb of cowardry; so he
smiled and spake in the most eloquent and elegant words; and,
after paying the usual ceremonial compliments to the Caliph,
said, ""By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I have indeed
given ear to their complaint, and they have told the truth in
that which they tell, so far as they have set out what befel; and
the commandment of Allah is a decreed decree.[FN#146] but I will
forthright state my case between they hands, and it is for thee
to give commands. Know then, O Prince of the Faithful, that I am
a very Arab of the Arabies,[FN#147] the noblest of those that are
beneath the skies. I grew up in the dwellings of the wold and
fell, till evil times my tribe befel, when I came to the
outskirts of this town, with my family and whatso goods I own:
and, as I went along one of the paths leading to its gardens,
orchards and garths, with my she-camels highly esteemed and by me
most precious deemed, and midst them a stallion of noble blood
and shape right good, a plenteous getter of brood, by whom the
females abundantly bore and who walked among them as though a
kingly crown he wore, one of the she-camels broke away; and,
running to the garden of these young men's father, where the
trees showed above the wall, put forth her lips and began to feed
as in stall. I ran to her, to drive her away, when behold, there
appeared, at a breach of the wall, an old man and grey, whose
eyes sparkled with angry ray, holding in his right a stone to
throw and swaying to and fro, with a swing like a lion ready for
a spring. He cast the stone at my stallion, and it killed him
for it struck a vital part. When I saw the stallion drop dead
beside me, I felt live coals of anger kindled in my heart; so I
took up the very same stone and throwing it at the old man, it
was the cause of his bane and ban: thus his own wrongful act
returned to him anew, and the man was slain of that wherewith he
slew. When the stone struck him, he cried out with a great cry
and shrieked out a terrible shriek, whereupon I hastened from the
spot; but these two young men hurried after me and laid hands on
me and before thee carried me." Quoth Omar (Almighty Allah
accept of him!), "Thou hast confessed what thou committedest, and
of acquittal there is no possible occasion; for urgent is the law
of retaliation and they cried for mercy but it was not a time to
escape."[FN#148] the youth answered, "I hear and obey the
judgement of the Imam, and I consent to all required by the law
of Al-Islam; but I have a young brother, whose old father, before
his decease, appointed to him wealth in great store and gold
galore, and committed his affair to me before Allah, saying: ‘I
give this into thy hand for thy brother; keep it for him with all
thy might.' So I took the money and buried it; nor doth any know
of it but I. Now, if thou adjudge me to be justiced forthright,
the money will lost and thou shalt be the cause of its loss;
wherefore the child will sue thee for his due on the day when the
Creator shall judge between His creatures. But, if thou wilt
grant me three days' delay, I will appoint some guardian to
administer the affairs of the boy and return to answer my debt;
and I have one who will be my surety for the fulfillment of this
my promise." So the Commander of the Faithful bowed his head
awhile, then raised it and looking round upon those present,
said, "Who will stand surety by me for his return to this place?"
And the youth looked at the faces of those who were in company
and pointing to Abu Zarr,[FN#149] in preference to all present,
said, "This man shall answer for me and be my bail."--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
youth pointed to Abu Zarr and said, "This man shall answer for me
and be my bail," Omar (Allah accept of him!) said, O Abu Zarr,
dost thou hear these words and wilt thou be surety to me for the
return of this youth?" He answered, "Yes, O Commander of the
Faithful, I will be surety for him for three days." So the
Caliph accepted his guarantee and let the young man go. Now when
the appointed time passed and the days of grace were nearly or
quite at end yet the youth came not, the Caliph took seat in his
council, with the Companions surrounding him, like the
constellations about the moon, Abu Zarr and the plaintiffs being
also present; and the avengers said, "Where is the defendant, O
Abu Zarr, and how shall he return, having once fled? But we
will not stir from our places till thou bring him to us, that we
may take of him our blood revenge." Replied Abu Zarr, "By the
truth of the All-Wise King, if the three days of grace expire and
the young man returneth not, I will fulfill my warranty and
surrender my person to the Imam;" and added Omar (whom Allah
accept!), "By the Lord, if the young man appear not, I will
assuredly execute on Abu Zarr that which is prescribed by the law
of Al-Islam!"[FN#150] thereupon the eyes of the bystanders ran
over with tears; those who looked on groaned aloud and great was
the clamour. Then the chiefs of the Companions urged the
plaintiffs to accept the blood-wit and deserve the thanks of the
folk; but they both refused and would accept nothing save the
talion. However, as the folk were swaying to and fro like waves
and loudly bemoaning Abu Zarr, behold, up came the young Badawi;
and, standing before the Imam, saluted him right courteously
(with sweat-beaded face and shining with the crescent's grace)
and said to him, "I have given the lad in charge to his mother's
brothers and have made them acquainted with all that pertaineth
to his affairs and let them into the secrets of his monies; after
which I braved the heats of noon and have kept my word as a free-
born man." Thereupon the folk marvelled, seeing his good faith
and loyalty and his offering himself to death with so stout a
heart; and one said to him, "How noble a youth art thou and how
loyal to thy word of honour and thy devoir!" Rejoined he, "Are
ye not convinced that when death presenteth itself, none can
escape from it? And indeed, I have kept my word, that it be not
said, ‘Good faith is gone from among mankind.' " Said Abu Zarr,
"By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I became warrant for this
young man, without knowing to what tribe he belonged, nor had I
seen him before that day; but, when he turned away from all who
were present and singled me out, saying, ‘This man shall answer
for me and be my bail,' I thought it not right to refuse him, and
generosity forbade to disappoint his desire, there being no harm
in compliance therewith, that it be not bruited abroad,
Benevolence is gone from among mankind." Then said the two young
men, "O Commander of the Faithful, we forgive this youth our
father's blood, seeing that he hath changed desolation into
cheerfulness; that it be not said, Humanity is gone from among
mankind." So the Caliph rejoiced in the acquittance of the youth
and his truth and good faith; moreover, he magnified the
generosity of Abu Zarr, extolling it over all his companions, and
approved the resolve of the two young men for its benevolence,
giving them praise with thanks and applying to their case the
saying of the poet,
"Who doth kindness to men shall be paid again; *
Ne'er is kindness lost betwixt God and men."
Then he offered to pay them, from the Treasury, the blood-wit for
their father; but they refused, saying, "We forgave him only of
our desire unto Allah,[FN#151] the Bountiful, the Exalted; and he
who is thus intentioned followeth not his benefits with reproach
or with mischief."[FN#152] and amongst the tales they relate is
that of
