RECORD OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE TRIBE OF JORHAM AT THE HOLY SANCTUARY, AND THEIR TAKING CARE OF ESMA’IL, U. W. B., ETC.

The tribe of Jorham were relatives of Ebrahim, and dwelt in the country of Yemen. They were trading and journey­ing by the way of Mekkah to Syria. After the well of Zemzem had been found, some of them were travelling, and arrived at the holy sanctuary, where they perceived some birds flitting hither and thither near the water, and others flying towards it. This appeared unusual to them, and they sent two men to examine the locality, who, when they arrived, perceived a woman with a child sitting near the well. The Arabs were rejoiced at this sight, and asked Hâjar who they were, and whether they belonged to the genii, or to the human race. She said that the Almighty—w. n. b. e.— had produced the water for her benefit, and for that of her child. Those two men drank of the Zemzem water, which they found sweet and delicious. Then they again asked, for the sake of obtaining certainty, whether any other person had a right to this water besides her and her child. After obtaining a negative reply to their question, where­with they felt satisfied, they also received permission for their tribe to come to the water, and returned to them with all the needed information. Accordingly, all of them went to Yemen, whence they brought their families, adherents, and cattle, in the company of another tribe of their rela­tives of the name Qatôra, and after duly performing the journey they all arrived. The prince of the Beni Jorham was called Masâs, the son of O’mar, and the name of the chief of the Qatôra tribe was Samôa’, the son of A’amer. Masâs encamped on the heights and Samôa’ in the lower parts of that country, and having erected buildings in that noble land, they gladly provided for Hâjar and Esma’il, who were much comforted by intercourse with the tribe of Jorham, among whom Esma’il grew up, and from whom he learnt the Arabic language.

Jebrâil informed Ebrahim concerning the affairs of Hâjar and Esma’il. Ebrahim was in the habit of visiting them once a year; he mounted Borâq, rode to Mekkah, saw his relatives, and again returned after a few moments. When Esma’il had attained his fifteenth year, Hâjar, who was highly respected, departed this life, and with the consent of her son, the Beni Jorham performed the funeral cere­monies, burying her according to her own wish in the great city of Mekkah in the vicinity of the Hijar.* Esma’il was so melancholy on account of the loss of his mother that he intended to leave the country. His friends and acquaint­ances, however, dissuaded him, and for the purpose of removing the discomfort of solitude, they married him to one of the noblest maidens of the tribe of Jorham. He became also much addicted to riding and hunting, so that he always roamed about in the mountains and deserts. The Friend of the Merciful [i.e. Ebrahim] happened one day to arrive in Mekkah, where he inquired about the circumstances of Hâjar and Esma’il, whereon he was informed of the decease of the former and the marriage of the latter. He then hastened to Esma’il’s house, whose wife informed him that her husband had gone to the chase. Being unacquainted with Ebrahim, she showed him no civilities, so that he supposed her to be void of the orna­ments of courtesy; accordingly he took leave and returned to Syria, but before doing so he requested her to tell Esma’il when he came back that a man who looked thus and thus had been there, and that he had asked her to tell Esma’il that the threshold of his house was not proper, and that he ought to change it. When Esma’il returned home at the time of evening prayers his heedless spouse informed him of what had taken place. He replied: ‘That man is my father, and the threshold of the house art thou, the changing whereof implies divorce from thee.’ Accordingly, he divorced her, and espoused another maiden of the tribe, adorned with good manners. When Ebrahim visited the sanctuary the next time and came to Mekkah he inquired at his son’s house, who again happened to be hunting. His wife, however, hastened to wait upon Ebrahim, and dished up of whatever was ready, at the same time offering her best excuses. Sarah not having given permission to Ebrahim to alight when visiting his son, he ate food, mounted as he was upon Borâq. Esma’il’s wife had washed his blessed face, and begged to be allowed also to wash the hair of his lordship. Ebrahim complied with her request, placed one of his feet on a raised stone, which was in the house of Esma’il, kept the other in the stirrup, and the mark of his noble foot remained on the stone. This time he spoke otherwise than on the former occasion, and told his son’s spouse to convey to him the message that the threshold of his house was very convenient, and that he ought by no means to neglect or to change it. After the departure of his lordship Esma’il returned from the chase, and his wife informed him of what had taken place, where­upon he replied: ‘This is good news for thee, my beloved companion and spouse; for that old man is my father, the Friend of the Merciful One, who has recommended me to keep and cherish thee. I hear and obey God and His friend; therefore, I shall, according to all my powers, endeavour to please thee and to conform myself to all thy wishes.’ Esma’il diligently cherished his spouse during his whole life, and never desired to marry another. Some of the events of his lordship’s life will—if it pleaseth Allah— be narrated in the record of his mission.