Rawżat al-ṣafā fi sīrat al-anbiya' va-'l-muluk va-'l-hulafa' - The Rauzat-us-Safa (Rehatsek), Part 1, Volume 1

STORY OF THE ASCENDENCY OF THE SOVEREIGN OF LOVE OVER THE CITY OF THE BODY OF THAT PRINCESS OF THE REALM OF ELEGANCE, NAMELY ZULEIKHA; AND THE ABSTAINING OF THE VERACIOUS ONE FROM TREACHERY; AND HIS REMAINING IMPRISONED FOR SEVERAL YEARS; AND THE CONSOLATION WHICH HIS LORDSHIP FOUND ON THE THRONE OF MAGNIFICENCE AND GLORY AFTER ALL HIS TROUBLES AND AFFLICTIONS.

The writer of this lovely story and the promulgator of these pleasant tidings thus addresses the connoisseurs of the subtleties of eloquence and of the value of elucidations: Zuleikha, who was a tenant of the harem of dignity, the signet of the sphere of elegance, the light of the eyes of the discerning, and the flambeau of the pavilion of creation, was so constant in her love to Yusuf, and so obsequious in his service, that rhetoricians and expounders must acknowledge their inability to describe it; but the lucid and modest mind of those who were endowed with truth and certainty, and of those who possess the quintessence of acuteness, has attempted to describe the course of those events as follows:

It is related that when the fire of love for Yusuf had been kindled in the oven of Zuleikha’s mind, its flames blazed upwards, and all the wishes of that tulip-cheeked one were concentrated in the desire to enjoy the pleasures of youth with Yusuf in the gardens of security, and in the vernal season of life. When Yusuf became aware of this intention, he shunned the society of Zuleikha, but this [shyness] only augmented her love; her full moon became a crescent, and her cypress-like stature became a toothpick.¹⁹⁴

Verses:

There is no hope of enjoyment in love, The pleasure of life is not in love; Its beginning is grief and pain, Its end is self-denial and death.

When the affectionate nurse of Zuleikha beheld her in that state, she inquired about the cause of it, whereon the mistress explained her own efforts and Yusuf’s obstinacy. The nurse wondered greatly that he entertained no affection for Zuleikha, since all Egypt was sleepless to behold her, and distracted by the radiations of her countenance. Zuleikha said: ‘Despite of my pleasing manners and beauty, Yusuf deigns not to favour me with one glance, or to consider my pulchritude.’ The nurse then concocted a stratagem, Zuleikha acted according to her instructions, and the first thing she did was to order a palace to be built, the like of which the eye of man had never beheld under the azure vault of heaven. In that castle an apartment was arranged, painted with strange and wonderful figures, among which were also the portraits of Yusuf and Zuleikha, close to each other, and repeated in various parts of the palace. In accordance with these preparations, furniture and provisions necessary for sustenance and pleasure were obtained, as also a carpet embroidered with costly rubies and various gems, which likewise contained the picture of the lover and of his mistress. Zuleikha watched her opportunity, barred the entrances and exits, took up her position on a couch, called for Yusuf on some pretence, and endeavoured to induce him to have carnal intercourse with her; but Yusuf replied: ‘God forbid! verily my lord hath made my dwelling with him easy.¹⁹⁵ O Zuleikha, how could I defile the skirts of innocence and purity with the filth of concupiscence and sin? How could I, who am the son of Esrâil and the fruit of the tree of the friend, commit forbidden and unlawful acts? How could I requite the favour of the A’ziz—who has ordered thee to respect me—and his benefits with ingratitude?’ Zuleikha would, however, not listen to any excuses, and, throwing off all reserve, manifested her attachment to Yusuf very fervently; but he said: ‘Think not that thou wilt by means of these satanic figments captivate the peacock of the Merciful One, or that thou canst with these carnal stratagems decoy the traveller of the straight road from his path.’ Zuleikha continued: ‘If thou entertainest scruples about uniting and connecting thyself with me, and if amorous dalliance be a sin according to the religion of thy fathers and ancestors, I have treasures of the gems of the sea and of mines, costly furniture and precious vessels; and if thou agreest to comply with my wishes, I shall expend all these things as a ransom for our indiscretion, and bestow them as alms upon the poor, the needy and the worthy, so that God—w. n. b. e.—will pardon, and not take into account our past crime.’

After this discussion between Yusuf and Zuleikha had been protracted, as it is narrated in detailed histories and also in the poem called ‘Yusuf and Zuleikha,’ by my lord Mulâvi Makhdûmi,¹⁹⁶ the base Eblis, whose constant study is how to deceive and to seduce, inflamed the senses of Yusuf so that a carnal desire originated in his mind. It is said that during the above conversation the veracious one cast a glance upon the carpet, where he beheld his own and Zuleikha’s portrait in the posture of embracing each other. He looked aside, but on the wall his eye met the same figure, therefore he looked up to the ceiling, where he again encountered his and Zuleikha’s portrait in close union. He was displeased, and glanced at Zuleikha, whose sensual appetite had by this time become very strong. She imagined that now her desires would be gratified, therefore she reiterated her caresses and solicitations. Satan likewise became an accessory to the case by suggesting false and deceitful arguments to make transgression acceptable to his lordship, who was ready to commit an act derogatory to his prophetic dignity; but divine favour came to his aid, and God said: ‘But she resolved within herself to enjoy him, and he would have resolved to enjoy her had he not seen the evident demonstration of the Lord.’¹⁹⁷ Expounders state that the reason of Yusuf’s not carrying out the intention, and of Zuleikha’s disappointment, was the ‘demonstration of the Lord’ mentioned in the above verse. Others also maintain that in the same apartment Yusuf perceived the portrait of Ya’qûb, which addressed him aloud as follows: ‘O my son, thy name is written in the list of prophets, and thou art the darling of Ya’qûb. Alas! wouldst thou, who art an heir of Ebrahim, defile the pages of the acts of prophets with sin and crime, and thus make thy heart a companion of repentance?’ Some say that on the above occasion Jebrâil descended and spoke to him as follows: ‘O Yusuf, the verse of chastity has been written down with the pen of dominion upon the table of divine grace, and it would be a pity to expunge so certain an order with the dust of such a crime.’ According to another tradition, the figure of a hand appeared between Yusuf and Zuleikha, on the palm of which the following three lines were written in Arabic with the pen of light:

‘Fear the day on which you will return to your Lord.
Do not commit adultery, because it is a sinful and an evil way.
Verily guardian angels are appointed over you, who write down your acts.’

According to another tradition, the following words were addressed to Yusuf [from heaven?]: ‘What man, whose name is written in the company of prophets, wishes to commit foolish acts?’ According to another opinion, the same child which bore testimony to Yusuf’s purity¹⁹⁸ said to him in eloquent language: ‘O veracious one, do not commit adultery.’ Some again say that in the retired apartment Yusuf’s glance fell upon a curtain, and that on his asking Zuleikha what was behind it, she replied: ‘It is my deity, and I have stretched the curtain before it that

Hereupon Yusuf replied: ‘Thou art ashamed of an idol, and shall I not be ashamed of the Eternal One?’ In the history of Tabari and others there are different explanations concerning the ‘demonstration of the Lord.’ The writer of these pages, however, hopes to be excused from recording them, because he fears they would only be an occasion of greatly lengthening his narrative. When Yusuf was convinced by the divine argument,

He disentangled himself from Zuleikha’s arms, fled from the secret apartment, and escaped through six barred doors; but at the seventh, which was the last, she overtook him, and catching hold of his cloak from behind, she pulled it until it was torn, whereon, all of a sudden, the A’ziz appeared at the door. Zuleikha was then much ashamed, and called out to her husband: ‘What shall be the reward of him who seeketh to commit evil in thy family, but a prison and sore punishment?’²⁰⁰ A’ziz was amazed.

Distich:

What Qâzi can judge beauty, for thou art Thyself informer, plaintiff and witness too?

Yusuf on his part also accused Zuleikha of wishing to seduce him, as God said: ‘She wanted me to lie with her.’²⁰¹ But the A’ziz, who was extremely jealous, drew his sword, and would have killed Yusuf for a sin which he had not committed, when by divine inspiration a sucking babe of the age of seven months declared Zuleikha’s falsehood, burst out into words, and, pointing to Yusuf’s torn garment, said: ‘If Yusuf’s dress is torn in front, Zuleikha is right, and Yusuf a liar; but if it be torn behind, Zuleikha is untrue, and Yusuf is a teller of truth.’²⁰² When the A’ziz had investigated the case, he discovered the guilt of the former, and the innocence of the latter. He saw that Zuleikha’s insisting on the punishment of Yusuf was one of her stratagems, and a sequence of her cunning disposition. Therefore he turned to Yusuf, craved his pardon, consoled and requested him not to reveal to anyone what had taken place, lest this disgraceful story should become public in Egypt, and be discussed by the vicious. Then he angrily said to Zuleikha: ‘Crave pardon for thy sin, because thou art guilty in having wished to deceive thy husband, hast used pretences, and been convicted of intending to commit adultery. Thou must now perform the ordained prayers for the remission of thy sin.’

When Zuleikha was guarding the sun of Yusuf’s beauty, veiled within the precincts of custody, and would not allow strangers to be gladdened by the aspect of his soul-rejoicing and grief-removing person, the women of Egypt, who were anxious to contemplate his beauteous figure, became jealous of Zuleikha, sad for Yusuf, and circulated lampoons about her:

The gossiping and the secret stories gradually became public, and were in the mouth of everyone; Zuleikha heard them, and wishing to put to shame some of their propagators, she arranged a splendid banquet for the purpose of extinguishing the fire of their envy and reprobation, and invited to it the wives of many grandees, among whom were the wives of the king’s cupbearer, of the table-decker, of the chamberlain, of the equerry, and of the chief jailor. For each of the just-named five ladies a couch adorned with silk-brocade, and a chair decorated with jewels, was erected. A company of singers, musicians and organ-players was engaged—for the purpose of exhilarating and amusing the assembly—and Zuleikha ordered them to commence the entertainment with amorous ditties, on which occasion she handed to each of those sarcastic ladies —who were drunk with the wine of anxiety for Yusuf, desirous to blame Zuleikha, and to discover her secrets—a bright knife and a delicious orange:

Then Zuleikha issued orders that the full moon—from envy of whose beauty the sun was confused—be brought forth from his retirement, and that his veil be removed. When he, who was the envy of the Suri-rose,²⁰³ stepped forward from the closet and the messengers of the dawn of his pulchritude arose from the horizon of the curtain, Zuleikha said:

Distich:

This is the darling For whom I am the target of blame.

When those who before reproved Zuleikha, had cast a glance at the person of Yusuf, they pitied her and confessed their own guilt. When they wished to carve the oranges, so occupied were they with looking at Yusuf that they cut their own hands, and considered themselves deserving of having their hands amputated on account of that one stolen glance.²⁰⁴ Qotâda says that:

Distich:

When from unconsciousness recovered, They found their hands severed.

Wuhub informs us that several persons present in that assembly gave up the ghost [i.e. died] at the sight of Yusuf; the truth, however, is that painful wounds were wrought on their hands, and that they unanimously exclaimed: ‘This is not a man; it is a holy angel!’ Then Zuleikha said to them by way of reproof: ‘This is the youth for whose love you have blamed me.’ The women replied: ‘O Zuleikha, abandon these words! Are not we punished and blamed a hundredfold, and have we not incurred a thousand obligations towards thee? We have erred in censuring thee.’ Zuleikha said: ‘Beloved friends and dear sisters, console me in this matter, and aid me in this affair, for in my attachment and love for this Kana’anite my senses cease to act and my respiration is fatigued.’ After the termination of the banquet those ladies returned to their homes with lacerated hands, and with the collar of patience torn, sad and melancholy. Two of the ladies, however, who were smooth-tongued, remained with Zuleikha and made a covenant with her that they would open the portals of intercourse between the lover and the beloved, and would spread out between them the couch of familiarity, because they had no idea that Yusuf was a white falcon, with eyes blind to sensuous and sensual matters, accustomed to feed on spiritual nourishment, and would never succumb to the satanic inspirations of the deceitful Eblis, nor be captured in the net of those who hunt for lust. One of these two females said to Yusuf by way of pleasantry: ‘O fortunate youth, do not rejoice to see Zuleikha in the bonds of separation and affliction, but rather consider her acquiescence to be good luck. Do not disappoint her in her hopes of union with thee, as she is a sun brought up in the shadow of chastity, and an angel whom her love for thee has led astray. In the company of the moon-faced she is like the sun among the stars; in the rose-grove of the jessamine-perfumed ones she is like the great luminary to the sight of men.

O Yusuf, as thou art undoubtedly the sun and she is the moon, and as the conjunction of the two luminaries is a necessity, it is best for her to be thy bride, and for thee to be her king.’ Yusuf replied: ‘This union and meeting is void of profit and honour, because the conjunction of the two luminaries in one degree is the cause of hostility, and the union of friends is the prelude of their separation; therefore it will be better if the moon retreats from the sun, whereby her splendour will increase. We cannot retain the purity of our essence by entering the miry abode of lust, nor can we dwell in the mansion of innocence with sinful acts, nor can we renounce paradise for the sake of indulging in a vicious disposition, neither can we gather provisions for salvation in the precincts of hell.’ When that female adviser had heard these words she became silent, and restrained her breath; but the other woman stretched forth the tongue of blame, and commenced to threaten Yusuf, saying: ‘Dear friend, with Zuleikha, who looks like the moon, and has a countenance like the sun, thou must not walk in the way of pride and haughtiness. It is incumbent upon thee sincerely to obey thy benefactress, and if thou persistest henceforth like a hollow-hoof to keep aloof in this matter, and again brayest forward such excuses and pretences, thou wilt indeed not remain free from the rage of vengeance, but wilt be associated with criminals and prisoners.’ Yusuf replied: ‘A lion of the plains of prophecy cannot be deceived by the vulpine games of the lascivious, nor will the high-soaring Homâi abandon the nest of the propinquity of the Eternal for the purpose of falling into the snares of those who are endowed with the habits of robins and the nature of sparrows.’²⁰⁷ Then he sought assistance from the Supreme King of the invisible world against the deceit of women, and said: ‘O Lord, the narrow prison will be more pleasant to me than this banquet, and that I should be called a sinner. The confinement of a jail will be better than this spacious rose-garden of ignominy, into which they desire to force me.’ Accordingly those two women, who coveted and desired the union of Yusuf with Zuleikha, desisted, because they despaired of his compliance. They went to Zuleikha, explained the matter to her, and requested her, as a favour, to send Yusuf to prison, in the confinement of which he might learn to appreciate the value of the garden of paradise which he had lost, and might in that solitude remember Zuleikha’s love, and covet it with all his heart and soul. Zuleikha approved of this suggestion, and said to the A’ziz: ‘This Hebrew youth and Kana’anitish slave has put me to shame among the people, and has, in the height of his dishonesty, accused me of wishing to lie with him. Do thou imprison him, that the world may know that the skirts of my purity are free from the defilement of transgression, and that the criminal is this Hebrew slave.’ The A’ziz consulted his courtiers, all of whom approved of the suggestion of Zuleikha; therefore he ordered the collar of resignation to be thrown upon the neck of that distinguished youth, who was accordingly placed in irons, and sent to a prison which is the cemetery of life, the house of mourning and of unhappiness, the ante-room of punishment and the narrow mansion of perplexity; the inhabitants whereof, who were pining in the corner of despair as if they had been living in their graves, received new life from the splendour of Yusuf’s beauty:

Verses:

When that living heart entered the prison It infused life into the dead bodies. Turmoil arose in that place of affliction, Shouts of the prisoners were heard; At the arrival of the king of beauty All the chained ones struck their chains.

When Yusuf arrived in the prison, Zuleikha ordered the jailer to take off the collar from his neck and the fetters from his feet, to place on his head the diadem of respect, and to adorn his body with a dress of honour. The jailer complied with her orders, placed Yusuf in a separate apartment adorned with expensive couches, and perfumed with ambergris, rose-water and musk. In that apartment Yusuf dwelt, and after having finished his devotions, visited the prisoners and explained their dreams, according to the verse: ‘We shall make him an interpreter of dreams.’ He comforted the unhappy and the despairing with words of kindness; he became the friend of all in that unpleasant abode, and consoled every one with words befitting his circumstances. Most of the prisoners were gladdened by the aspect of his soul-exhilarating person, and forgot the afflictions of the world and the miseries of the prison for a time. Yusuf, who had, by his confinement in prison, been rescued from the blackness of the deceit of women, became habituated to the society of the prison, spent his time trusting in divine favour, and thus nights and days succeeded each other.

Distich:

He sat in the abode of patience like a man, Thanking God for having escaped the guiles of woman.

When that Luna-faced Kana’anite had been made a prisoner by the efforts of Zuleikha, and the command of the A’ziz, the mind of the lady was burning from the fire of separation.

Verses:

When that cypress left the rose-garden The rose-garden became darker than a prison. What repose could there remain in the garden When the rose is gone, and thorns are left? At the departure of that rose of the garden She tore her robes like the bursting bud.

But as she had herself been the cause, and had herself planned this matter, she had no remedy; wherefore she consoled herself in the bitterness of her affliction with the following strains:

Verses:

It is better for the wise to take the world bitterly, Because sweet life terminates with bitterness. He who dwells here in pain and grief, Will smile in death, like a brightly-burning light.

RECORD OF YUSUF’S LIBERATION FROM THE NARROW PRISON, AND OF HIS ELEVATION TO THE THRONE OF DIGNITY, MAGNIFICENCE AND GLORY.

The Emperor of Rûm had sent an ambassador to the King of Egypt; he had provided him with abundant riches and a lethal poison, in order to win over the courtiers with the former and to slay the king with the latter, so as to remove him from the government of Egypt. After this envoy of the sovereign of Rûm had entered into close familiarity with the king’s table-decker and cup-bearer, he communicated his intention to them. The latter refused to second his designs, but the former was decoyed from the straight path by the quantity of gold and precious stones which he had received, and became the accomplice of the envoy. The king, however, was apprised that one of the two just - mentioned officials harboured evil intentions towards his majesty, and as it could not be ascertained who it was, the king ordered both of them to be thrown into prison until it could be discovered which of the two was guilty.

Some historians allege that on account of the king’s tyranny and oppression the grandees had concocted this plan, which both the table-decker and the cup-bearer were ready to execute because of their avidity for worldly possessions. Though both of them were enemies at heart, they nevertheless conspired together in this plot, each thinking at the same time that the time of revenging himself on his companions was at hand, and consulted with each other how and on what occasion to make use of the poison. The next day, when the royal banquet took place, the cup-bearer, who was an acute and experienced individual, saw excitement circulating in the society, and presented to the king a bowl of wine, which he had been careful to guard from defilement by poison, and which he poured in a limpid state like the water of immortality into the goblet of joviality; but when the king was in the act of taking the beverage from his hand, the table-decker exclaimed: ‘Beware, O king! take not the cup, for it is life-destroying, and not joy-increasing.’ The king therefore ordered the cup-bearer to swallow the draught himself. The man obeyed, felt no evil effect, and said: ‘As my innocence is evident, and I have been accused of treachery, I request that the table-decker’s fidelity be tried by causing him to taste of this food which he has prepared.’ The table-decker, having been ordered to partake of the food, refused, which convinced the king that it was poisoned, so that his wrath was incensed and he threw them both into prison. When they entered that place of melancholy and captivity, they forgot the intimacy they had enjoyed in the king’s company by associating with the moon-faced Kana’anite whom Zuleikha had surnamed the Hebrew slave; and perceiving that Yusuf was the comforter of the prisoners and interpreted their dreams, they consulted with each other, and said: ‘It is expedient for us to try this refined gold on the touchstone of experience, and for the purpose of being rescued from our doubts and misgivings we shall in all sincerity gird up the loins of service to him.’ Having come to this resolution, they narrated to him their dreams, requesting him to interpret them. One of them said then to Yusuf: ‘It seemed to me [in my dream] that I pressed wine [out of grapes].’ And the other said: ‘It appeared to me [in my dream] that I was carrying bread on my head, whereof the birds did eat. Declare unto us the interpretation [of our dreams] for we perceive that thou art a beneficent person.’²⁰⁸ The cup-bearer, who was a traveller on the road to salvation, said: ‘In my sleep I beheld myself walking in a pleasant garden, and in an exhilarating rose-grove, when I suddenly perceived in one of its recesses three bunches of grapes. I took possession of them, and preserved them for the purpose of refreshing myself, and obtained from them wine, the fumes of which were exciting and the odour rejoicing. I decanted the new wine, from which the poets of Yemen draw inspiration, into a bumper of Damascus glass, and served it up to the king, who drank it with much zest, and praised me highly.’ Then the table-decker, who was standing in the corner of exclusion, approached Yusuf, and said: ‘My dream is, that I came from the ordinary apartment of the king, and saw on my head three trenchers containing loaves of bread, each of which excited the jealousy of the solar orb, and of the disc of the moon. Suddenly, however, famished birds came flying towards me, and consumed the bread so that not one of them remained. I was greatly disturbed by this event, and awoke from my sleep. Now, we beseech thee to interpret these two dreams to us, and to vouchsafe to inform us of the consequences of these two visions.’ Yusuf, who knew that one of these two dreams was boding good, and the other evil, said: ‘No food wherewith ye may be nourished shall come unto you, but I will declare unto you the interpretation thereof before it come unto you.’²⁰⁹ They replied: ‘This is the business of sorcerers and soothsayers; where hast thou seen them? and when hast thou learnt this trade from them?’ Yusuf rejoined: ‘God forbid that I should have followed such people, and that I should have learnt this science from them; but my spirit is strengthened by heavenly assistance, it is inspired by divine revelations, and this is a knowledge in which my Omnipotent Nourisher has instructed me.’ When they again requested him to interpret their dreams, he refused, invited them to follow the religion of his fathers Ya’qûb, Esahâq and Ebrahim, and harangued them on the unity of the Omniscient One. But when they pressed him the next time he yielded, and said: ‘O companions of my captivity, the interpretation of the dream of him who gave wine to the king is, that the latter will reinstate him in his former office, but will hang the other on a gibbet, where birds will feed on the brains of his head.’

The details of the preceding interpretation are as follows: Yusuf explained to the cup-bearer that the garden which he had seen meant his livelihood, the three bunches of grapes the three days during which he would still have to remain in prison, and the receiving of the cup by the king implied sanction of reinstatement in his former post. To the table-decker he said: ‘The three trenchers indicate that after the expiration of three days thou wilt be removed from this place and hanged on a gallows, where thou wilt be left until the birds of the air have consumed the brains of thy head.’ When the said two individuals heard these words from Yusuf, they said: ‘We have dreamt no dreams at all, but have devised these words in our waking state, for the purpose of trying thee.’ Yusuf replied: ‘The matter is decreed concerning which ye seek to be informed,²¹⁰ nor will the command of God be altered.’ He also said to the cup-bearer: ‘Remember me in the presence of thy lord,’²¹¹ and requested him that on the proper occasion, when again waiting upon the king, he would inform him that the unfortunate Hebrew slave had been for a number of years confined in prison, excluded from and despairing of enjoying the pleasures of this world. The cup-bearer placed the finger of acquiescence, with Yusuf’s request, upon his eyes; and when three days had elapsed, the director of the chancery of fate placed one of them upon the couch of fortune, and suspended the other upon the gibbet of perdition. The cup-bearer was again received into favour, ‘but the devil caused him to forget to make mention of Yusuf unto his lord,’²¹² so that he never remembered him. It is said that when Yusuf made his request to the cup-bearer, Jebrâil descended from the mansion of the Living Eternal one, and thus addressed Yusuf: ‘God—w. n. b. e.—sends thee His greeting and says: Wast thou ashamed of Me that thou hast taken refuge with a mortal, and hast made one of the sons of Adam thy mediator? I swear by My glory and magnificence that I shall retain thee in prison several years more.’ Yusuf asked Jebrâil: ‘Will the Omnipotent Lord be pleased with me whilst I am in captivity?’ Jebrâil said: ‘Yes.’ Yusuf continued: ‘If such be the case, I do not fear the troubles and afflictions of the prison.’ In some works it is related that when Jebrâil descended after the above-mentioned request [of Yusuf to the cup-bearer] and said to Yusuf: ‘The Creator—whose magnificence be exalted— asks thee who has produced thee from non-existence and hast made thee the favourite of thy father,’ Yusuf replied: ‘The Lord God whose beneficence is universal.’ Jebrâil continued: ‘Who has removed from thee the reproach [and inclination] of committing sin with Zuleikha?’ Yusuf said: ‘The Lord Most High.’ Jebrâil continued: ‘The Most High says: Since thou hast confessed that I have done all this, why seekest thou intercession from a man like thyself?’ This recital is confirmatory of the words of Yusuf, who said: ‘Nobody ever loved me without the consequence of it bringing affliction upon me.’

According to one tradition, Yusuf remained seven years more in prison, after the expiration whereof Bin Valeed, the King of Egypt, beheld in his sleep seven fat kine issuing from the river Nile, who were followed by seven lean ones that swallowed the former without any change appearing on their bodies. He likewise beheld seven ears of corn which were beautiful and verdant, having plenty of grains on them. After these, seven withered and decayed ears appeared, which bent over the good ones and so exsiccated them that nothing of their freshness or verdure remained. When the king awoke, he was languid and melancholy, called for magicians, soothsayers, and expounders, asking them to interpret his vision; but all of them said: ‘These are confused dreams, which we cannot interpret.’²¹³ When the cup-bearer heard this conversation, he remembered Yusuf, and said: ‘I shall procure a man who will be able to explain the vision of his majesty. I will declare unto you the interpretation thereof, wherefore let me go [unto the person who will interpret it to me].’²¹³ The Emâm Anjum-ud-din O’mar Nashafi has expounded the above verse as follows: I shall bring information about an expounder, and I know how to set about it; therefore send me to the prison, for he is there who knows it.

When the cup-bearer saw the inability of the interpreters, he represented to the king that the tentatives of these scholars were futile, and their words vain. He said that the dream of the king could not be an intricate one, because the dreams of sovereigns are undoubtedly capable of being explained. He also narrated his own and the table-decker’s dream, with their interpretation by Yusuf, whose story, he said, was a long one, and he could not detail it as he ought; but he was certain of Yusuf’s being of noble descent, of the family of Ebrahim, endowed with perfect beauty and adorned with pleasing manners, and that the A’ziz was inconsiderately keeping him in prison at the bidding of his wife. The king wished quickly to know the meaning of the dream, therefore he despatched the cup-bearer to the prison, who went there and said to Yusuf: ‘Thou veracious one, teach us [the interpretation] of seven fat kine,’ etc.,²¹⁴ related the king’s dream, and said that, as the interpreters could not explain it, Yusuf was to do so, and that the cup-bearer would, on his return, narrate it, whereby they might perhaps become aware of Yusuf’s value and dignity, and deliver him from prison. Yusuf said: ‘The fat kine and the green ears mean abundant and fertile years, during which the inhabitants will be in comfort; on the other hand, the lean kine and the withered ears mean years of famine and distress, during which provisions and sustenance will not be obtainable.’ Yusuf continued: ‘The remedy is to cultivate and to sow the ground without intermission during seven years, and to store all the grain, except what is required for food; and during the seven following years of hunger and distress, you will have to consume all you may have laid by, except a little, which you must reserve for sowing. After the years of scarcity, a year will come during which the people will, by the mercy of heaven and the fertility of the earth, live in comfort and tranquillity.’ When the cup-bearer returned from the prison, he related the whole interpretation to the king, who became convinced that these words were true, and that his dream had no other signification. Consequently he sent the cup-bearer to Yusuf, who explained the king’s wish to meet that cypress of the garden of prophecy and liberality, and requested him to come to the king’s palace; but the veracious one refused, and said: ‘Return thou to the king and ask him what has become of those women who cut their hands.’

It is related that when the prophet—u. w. b., etc.— arrived at the verse, ‘Return unto thy Lord, and ask of him what was the intent of the women who cut their hands,’²¹⁵ he said: ‘May Allah the magnificent and glorious pardon my brother Yusuf; but had I been in his place, I would immediately have obeyed the summons of the king, and would have come in haste.’

When the cup-bearer returned to the king, he said that Yusuf would not come out of prison until his innocence was made clear. Riân Bin Valeed was astonished at this reply, and inquired minutely into Yusuf’s case. The cup-bearer informed him that Yusuf was a Hebrew slave, endowed with great beauty and intelligence, whom the A’ziz of Egypt had purchased from one Mâlek Bin Za’r. The king further asked for the reason of his captivity, about the women who had cut their hands, and why he was to make inquiries from them. Hereon the cup-bearer related the whole story of Yusuf, as he had heard it from himself, which greatly astonished the king. He accordingly called for the jailer, and said: ‘A youth endowed with such and such qualities is in prison, and I want to ascertain who has sent him there.’ The prison-keeper replied: ‘The A’ziz of Egypt has sent him to prison. He fasts during the day and prays during the night; and if various kinds of the best food be offered to him, he takes only a little, and distributes the rest among the needy.’ After hearing these words, the king became extremely anxious to see Yusuf; therefore he summoned the A’ziz to his presence and examined him about Yusuf’s case, as also for the reason of his captivity. The A’ziz, however, concealed the true state of the matter, for fear of losing his reputation, and said: ‘I have bought this slave from Mâlek Bin Za’r, and adopted him as my son; but as he was accused of treachery, I have sent him to prison, where he still is, for that reason.’ Riân then again sent the cup-bearer to the prison to bring Yusuf, but the veracious one still refused, saying: ‘Though Riân be the king, it is my first duty to clear my character in the sight of the A’ziz who has purchased me, and who will become reconciled to me only after the women shall have been examined with reference to me.’ The cup-bearer again conveyed this message to the king, who marvelled still more, ordered the women with the cut hands to appear in his presence, who, being interrogated about Yusuf and Zuleikha, replied: ‘God forbid that we should have said anything bad of him. It was a stratagem which we had concocted.’ Zuleikha also confessed her guilt, saying: ‘Now right has been distinguished from wrong, and truth from falsehood. I asked him to comply with my desires, and he is one of the righteous.’ The nobleman’s wife said: ‘Now is the truth become manifest. I solicited him to lie with me, and he is one of those who speak the truth.’²¹⁶ After these words Yusuf said: ‘The cause of my request was to convince the A’ziz that I have not been deceiving him in his absence, “and that Allah directeth not the plot of the deceivers. Neither do I [absolutely] justify myself, since every soul is prone unto evil.” ’²¹⁷

It is related that after Zuleikha had, in the presence of Riân Bin Valeed, confessed her guilt, the A’ziz of Egypt divorced her on account of this disgrace, but that Yusuf married her eighteen years later. Some say that shortly after Yusuf’s liberation from prison the A’ziz died, and the veracious one entered into a matrimonial alliance with Zuleikha. It is, however, expected that—if Allah willeth —we shall describe the event of their union in a more detailed manner, as follows:

When the diploma of the innocence and purity of Yusuf —u. w. b., etc.—had become evident to Riân and to the Egyptians, the king said: ‘Bring Yusuf, that I may select him for particular affairs.’ Accordingly one of the courtiers went to the prison and delivered the king’s message to Yusuf, who thereon politely took leave of the jailer, and wrote on the prison-door: ‘This is the grave of the living, a house of mourning; a trial to the friends, and a cause of exultation to the enemies [of those who reside therein].’ He bathed and purified himself, put on a costly dress, and rode on the horse of the courtier under whose care he was, to the palace of the king. When he had honoured the heaven-resembling mansion of Riân with his noble presence, and the latter had glanced at him with the courtiers, they said: ‘This is the form of a spirit or an angel in the shape of a man; because none of the sons of men have ever learnt or their ears heard about one like him.’ The king caused Yusuf to take a seat in an appropriate place, and after having addressed various questions to him for the purpose of ascertaining his various capacities, he found him adorned with all perfect sciences, and acquainted with secret matters. Then he said: ‘I wish to hear the interpretation of my dream from thine own pearl-dropping lips.’ Yusuf replied: ‘If I am permitted, I shall first rehearse your majesty’s dream by way of explanation, and then I shall interpret it.’ Riân assented, and Yusuf spoke as follows: ‘The king has seen in his dream seven fat white kine, with black eyes, green horns, and of pleasant aspect, from whose paps milk was exuding, make their appearance on the banks of the Nile, so that their beauty and freshness excited the admiration of the king. Then the waters of the Nile became affected with an unpropitious decrease, which continued until nothing but mud remained in the bed of the river. From that mire seven black, demon-like cows issued, the abdomen of each of whom was in contact with his back.²¹⁸ And these two species of cows fell upon each other like the armies of Greece and Ethiopia, until at last the black lean kine prevailed over the white and fat ones, broke their bones, and devoured them with their flesh and blood and skins, so that no trace of them was left. The king was looking at them with astonishment, when he suddenly beheld seven green and as many black and withered ears of corn growing up from one spot, with their roots in mud and water. The king pondered that as these ears were all growing on the same spot, there ought to be some reason for the verdure and freshness of the one and for the decaying and withering state of the other set. Suddenly, however, a wind commenced to blow, which caused the green and the dry ears to become entangled with each other in a sort of combat, in consequence whereof smoke and fire issued from the dry ears, which so affected the green ones that they likewise became withered.’ After that the veracious one gave the interpretation of this dream, which has already been narrated above.²¹⁹

The king exclaimed: ‘By Allah! if this dream be wonderful, thy telling it without adding anything to or taking from it is still more wonderful. This is my dream, O veracious one, which thou hast interpreted in the assembly without alteration. Inform us also of the means by which the baneful effects of the misfortune that threatens us may be avoided.’ Yusuf replied: ‘The remedy in this matter is, to order all the inhabitants of Egypt to attend most carefully to their agricultural labours, and to let them know that the greatest calamities will ensue if they neglect to carry out this injunction. Your majesty ought also to command the middle and the higher classes to content themselves with as much of the produce as will suffice for their maintenance, and to store all the remaining grain of the following seven years in granaries, so as to preserve this from the attacks of insects.’ Hearing much and similar advice which flowed from the jewel-dropping lips of the veracious one, Riân became irresolute, and said: ‘To the hands of what wise and faithful individual shall I entrust the reins [i.e. the management] of this dangerous business? Who can issue unscathed from this important matter?’ Yusuf replied: ‘Appoint me to fix the revenues, and the produce to be raised during seven years, and inform every clerk and accountant that I shall examine his calculations.’ Allah—w. n. b. e.—has said: ‘Set me over the storehouse of the land, for I will be a skilful keeper thereof.’²²⁰ The ‘storehouses of the land’²²¹ mean here the places in which all the grain and produce is stored.

Riân complied with this request, eulogized Yusuf, and said: ‘Who could better apply himself to the generalities and details of affairs than thyself? It is my intention henceforth to avail myself of thy advice in matters of government, and to make thee an inmate and dignitary of my house.’ Then he adorned the august head of Yusuf with a golden crown, and decorated his waist with a girdle of precious jewels, as a sign of his royal bounty, and entrusted his far-seeing intellect with the execution of the above-named important affair. He also removed the A’ziz from his post, and appointed to it the Lord Yusuf. Others, however, allege that this happened after the decease of the A’ziz, because Yusuf would not accept the place during the lifetime of the latter.

In short, the veracious one commanded a spacious surface to be set apart in one of the districts of Egypt, the climate of which was temperate and free from dew. There he caused buildings to be erected, high like the rampart of Eskander,²²² and the summit of the pyramids. He also appointed a collector to store all the produce, excepting only that required for daily use, in the just-mentioned granaries.

When the days of prosperity and cheapness had elapsed, hard times of distress and famine arrived, the like of which the inhabitants of Egypt had never seen before, and the first individual attacked by the pangs of hunger was Riân Bin Valeed; it is said they attacked him in the middle of the night, and he exclaimed: ‘O Yusuf, the hunger, the hunger!’ It is said that in those days the veracious one had every day once, at noon, food prepared for the king and his servants. On that occasion he himself did not eat his fill, lest he might forget the condition of the poor and unhappy. The flames of scarcity burned so brightly that their smoke issued from the windows of the noble and the opulent, as well as from those of the poor and needy; the rich and the indigent, the healthy and the sick, were equally subject to it. Excess of hunger made people imagine that in the granary of the sky the stars were wheat which they could not reach; and in the area of Virgo, which is a sheaf of that blue plantation, they perceived the ears of corn which they could not attain. The violence of the famine had satiated everyone with life, but the satiety which means appeased hunger could not be felt:

Verses:

The people were so much distressed That men became anthropophagi like wolves. All the bread a poor man could obtain Was the loaf of the sun in the sky. The stranger travelling on the road Ate his meal from the saucer of the moon. From such bread the heart could not be at ease, From such food the stomach could not be at peace.

In short, whatever eatables or produce the people had, they fed therewith their families during the first year; in the second they spent all their money, gold and jewels on the maintenance of their households; in the third year they purchased grain by selling all their ornaments, furniture, beds, and utensils; in the fourth they sold their male and female slaves, with all the remaining cattle, to save their own lives; in the fifth they parted with all their movable and immovable property, and purchased wheat by the Saa’,²²³ and in this year corn became so dear that even the scales of the balances fell into disuse, nor was there any occasion for weights, as there were no loads to be weighed, and the Saa’ was the only measure employed; in the sixth year the people bartered their wives and children—which are the most precious possessions of men, and the darlings of their heart—for oats and corn; in the seventh year fear for their own lives made them sell their own bodies to Yusuf in the same way as they had already before parted with all their possessions.

When dearness became again changed to cheapness, affliction to peace, and misery to comfort, Yusuf turned the face of his desire towards the king, and said: ‘In these times we have established a treasury, and collected riches which kings of ancient ages were unable to accumulate despite all their power; nay, not even one tenth of them. We have, moreover, preserved all the subjects of your majesty from the famine and its hardships. But now, as times have become prosperous, it will be proper for your majesty again to restore to freedom those men who have fallen into the unhappy state of servitude, and to rejoice their grieved minds with this gift, the memory whereof will remain for ever recorded on the pages of history, and will be remembered till the day of the resurrection.’ The king replied: ‘I abandon the good and the bad of this affair, the tying and the knotting thereof, to thy option. The keys of judging what is wrong or right concerning my subjects have been transferred to the grasp of thy good pleasure. Arrange these matters as they ought to be, and act in the most proper way; for my approbation depends on thy opinion, and my opinion will be regulated by thy approbation.’ When Yusuf had obtained this permission he restored to liberty all the inhabitants of Egypt who wore the ring of slavery in their ears; he, moreover, presented them with their possessions, servants and cattle. This act of beneficence imparted new life to the country, and the inhabitants of the world learnt that a faithful treasurer is the cause of the good order and prosperity of the kingdom.

Verses:

A prudent and magnanimous wazir At all times prospers the kingdom; He refreshes the affairs of the king, He governs the land with wisdom. And if there be no good wazir, The people complain of the king; Throne, crown, kingdom and treasure Give no pleasure to the king, but pain to the people. All the pomp and power are lost, The territories suddenly get confused. Wash your hands of such a king, Whose prime minister is an oppressor.

RECORD OF THE PROCEEDING OF YUSUF’S BROTHERS TO
EGYPT, AND THEIR ADVENTURES ON THAT OCCASION.

When the state of distress and indigence had, in consequence of the security, been protracted like the story of the Lord Ya’qûb and the veracious one, and the calamity of famine had become universal, and had spread over E’râq, Arabia, and Syria, the difficulty of gaining a livelihood distressed the noble and ignoble, the rich and the poor.

Verses:

The cry of distress reached its height; Famine enters [even] through iron doors. No, not famine, but a dragon Both spread afflictions on all sides; They shut upon the young and the old The gates of joy with the bars of fate.

The tribes of the Kana’anites were likewise being drowned in the inundation of famine, and the fire of hunger scattered the dust of patience to the winds; children were unable to bear it, and females lost the veins of self-possession and restraint from their hands. In this state of confusion the sons of Ya’qûb went to their father and represented to him the helpless condition of their progeny, and the distress of their families. Ya’qûb, the fire of whose anxiety was blazing on account of his separation from Yusuf, had gone away from his sons, and dwelt in a house, small like the eye of an ant, or the temper of a sick person. He had selected a corner, dark as the grave of sinners and the place of mourners, and this cottage he surnamed ‘the abode of lamentation.’ When he beheld the distress of his children, his wounds were renewed, and his sufferings became unbounded. He asked his sons, by way of consulting them, for the means of removing this calamity, and putting an end to this affliction. They replied: ‘We have heard that in this year of scarcity the A’ziz of Egypt has opened the door of his granary, and erected the balance of justice. Whoever brings wares to him obtains in exchange advantage [i.e. grain]. If thou wilt give us camels, we shall separate from our families, travel to his presence, and offer him some of our goods, whereby we may possibly rescue our wives and children from misery, and restore to those weak minors, whose souls have ascended to their lips for the want of bread, their spirits and the strength of their bodies.’ Though Ya’qûb was unwilling to separate from his sons, he at last, nevertheless, consented to their journey to Egypt, so that every one of Yusuf’s brothers, except Ebn Yâmin, mounted a camel, loaded it with goods in proportion to his wealth, and turned his face towards Egypt.²²⁴ After performing the journey, and passing through the perils of the desert, the brothers arrived in Egypt, and on a day when the grandees and nobles were present in the assembly of Yusuf, they were made happy by being allowed to approach him for the purpose of kissing his hands. They were ten handsome young men, with black eyes, of high stature, and of commanding aspect. The Egyptians were astonished when they beheld those strange figures of gigantic stature. It is related that Yusuf was sitting on the couch of dignity, and on the throne of magnificence, with a diadem set in jewels on his forehead, and dressed like the King of Egypt, in robes of brocade and silk, with a golden collar on his neck. These royal garments, and the length of the time of Yusufs separation, prevented his brothers from recognising him. They approached him respectfully, and addressed their Musalmân [sic] salutations to him in the Hebrew tongue, to which the veracious one responded in the same language. He also recognised them by their features and motions, ‘but they knew him not.’²²⁵ Then he asked them: ‘Where are you from, how came you to this country, and what is your intention?’ They replied: ‘We are Nomads from Syria; the troubles and difficulties of the times have afflicted us; the rumour of thy good name has induced us to come here for the purpose of obtaining provisions.’ Yusuf continued: ‘You are spies: you came to find out the number of our army, and to become acquainted with our country; after that you will go to the governors of Syria and Rûm to invite them to attack us.’ The brothers, however, unanimously exclaimed: ‘God forbid that we should be spies! We are the descendants of prophets, and of the seed of the pure; all the ten gems of us belong to the same casket, and all these ten stars belong to the same constellation. Our ancestors were observers of the [celestial] spheres, and connoisseurs of the pure world; the prosperous degrees of the fixed stars and of the planets were evident to their luminous minds without the instrumentality of the astrolabe, and the subtleties of sciences treasured up for ages are shining in them like the sun, and perceived by their acute intellects without the trouble of study. Perhaps the narratives of the mission of the Esrâil of God, and the nobleness of the friend of God, have reached the hearing of your highness. In consequence of the liberality of the king, endowed with laudable qualities, which has in this year of famine become public, and is the theme of universal praise, the people of surrounding countries have come to this locality, and we have also travelled to this land, in order to reap great advantages from the spread table of his beneficence, to be rejoiced with an abundant share of his benevolence, and to save the lives of our children, companions, followers, and posterity, from the distress of famine, and the afflictions of scarcity.’ Yusuf asked: ‘Is your father alive or dead?’ They replied: ‘He is alive.’ Yusuf continued: ‘What kind of man is he, how is he occupied, how does he spend his time, and how many are there of you?’ They said: ‘Our father is an opulent man of advanced age, of the lineage of Ebrahim, the friend of God; his epithet is the Esrâil of the Divine Majesty’s threshold. Having obtained the robe of patriarchal dignity and of human propensities by inheritance and by merit, he has entirely turned away his face from the society of anyone but that of the Creator of the universe. We were originally twelve brothers, but he who was the best of us in shape and virtue, and the most worthy of the prophetic dignity, went one day in our company to the desert, for the purpose of diverting himself, but after he had a little while disappeared from our eyes, a wolf attacked and devoured him. As soon as our father heard this news he was utterly dismayed, and ascribed his son’s destruction to the decree of fate, but as he was, in consequence of the frailty of human nature, unable by the efforts of patience to subdue the grief caused by that sad event, he has taken up his abode,

Distich:

Since many years, in a hut narrow— Narrow like the mouth-piece of a lute,

and has adopted the life of a hermit. He has closed the door of intercourse with anyone, and putting on his noble stature the robe of mourning like a violet, he placed, on account of his separation from that sun-like child, his head into the tears of his own eyes like the water-lily [i.e. Lotus flower]:

Distich:

The heart’s blood rains tears from his eyes Since that heart and eye left his arms.

The same mother whose son was thus lost, and the same conch, bore [also] another pearl:

Distich:

Now the signet of that moon-faced one is put on him, And his world-embracing eye is opened on him.’

Yusuf asked: ‘What is the name of that son?’ They replied: ‘His name is Ebn Yâmin.’ He continued: ‘Why is he called thus?’ They said: ‘A boy who has lost his mother is named Ebn Yâmin, and when this child was born, his mother, who bore the name of Rahil, struck the drum of departure. Our father has brought him up on the milk of a nurse, and keeping that orphan-pearl in his arms, he does not expose his person to the sun, nor does he think the earth secure enough for him. From morning till evening he deplores the loss of his other son, and has made the remembrance of the latter one’s beauty the associate of his imaginations. He knows no other occupation besides the wish of again beholding him, and undertakes no other business than to sport with his loveliness.’ Yusuf asked: ‘Is there anyone in this country who might vouch for the truth of your assertions, and could bear testimony to the correctness of your genealogy?’ Rubil replied: ‘We are from Syria, of the religion of Islâm; we are distinguished by the nobility of our lineage; we are not conscious that things already manifest need be made known, and that pure gold requires an ignoble stone to reveal its value.’ Hereupon the veracious one retained by divine inspiration the royal dignity, and taking no notice of these words, said: ‘I shall not cease to speak on this point, nor withdraw my hand from this matter, until you have cleared yourselves of all suspicions, and I am convinced whether you have come to this country for mercantile or for warlike purposes. Now, when you return, it will be proper that one of you remain under the shadow of my protection until you bring your youngest brother, so that the countenance of certainty may become freed from the veil of dubiousness.’ To this proposal the brethren of Yusuf assented; therefore he assigned to them a convenient habitation, and provided for all their wants with the greatest liberality. The next day the sons of Ya’qûb came to purchase wheat; Yusuf asked them for their capital, and they produced their merchandise. Then the A’ziz said: ‘Our treasury is not in want of your goods, but as you are of a noble race, and come from a long distance, you may take them to the market for the purpose of being valued, and I shall give you their equivalent in wheat.’ They acted according to these orders, and their wares amounted to the price of two hundred dinârs. After three days more had elapsed, during which Yusuf entertained his brothers hospitably, he gave to every one of them one camel-load of wheat, and remitted to them the sum by which this wheat exceeded the value of their merchandise. The brothers then cast lots who should remain in Egypt, and the lot of remaining fell upon Shima’ûn.²²⁶ This is, however, contradicted in the history of Tabari, because if Yusuf had retained one of the brothers, that the others might bring Ebn Yâmin, they would have suspected that the A’ziz was himself Yusuf; but it is not hidden to the intellects of the discerning that this objection of Tabari has been refuted. Allah knows best!

When Yusuf had provided his brethren with wheat, he said to them: ‘Bring your youngest brother also with you,²²⁷ that I may give also to him a camel-load of wheat. For, if you do not bring him, I shall not give you any food, nor will I admit you into my presence.’ They replied: ‘We shall ask our father, and shall do thy bidding.’ After the brothers had left Shima’ûn, and departed to Kana’an, Yusuf forthwith invited his brother to his private palace, set apart for hospitality; entertained and comforted him every day, and enjoined his attendants to respect and honour him; but occasionally he sent him a message through an interpreter to the effect that ‘The king is indisposed and sick, and his wishes must be obeyed, else I would not have subjected your family to all this inconvenience. Now, however, repose thyself for some time in our neighbourhood, until I send thee back in the company of thy brethren, in a manner the amenity whereof could not be exceeded.’

Various texts inform us that when the brothers departed, Yusuf ordered some confidants secretly to replace the goods²²⁸ which they had brought from Kana’an into their baggage. The veracious one entertained full confidence in the upright character and honesty of his brethren, and knew when, on their return to their families and children, they would—after opening their loads and finding their wares among them—imagine that some persons had by mistake placed their goods among the wheat, and would return to Egypt, according to their perfect honesty, in order to restore what no longer belonged to them. There are, however, also other opinions current concerning this restoration of goods.

When the sons of Ya’qûb arrived in Kana’an after the termination of their journey, and were honoured by meeting the Esrâil of God, they said: ‘O father, by the blessing of thy orisons and the prosperity entailed by our connection with thee, the A’ziz of Egypt has received us very honourably, has treated us with extreme kindness, and has hospitably entertained us with various dishes and beverages.’ Ya’qûb listened to what they had to say, but perceiving the absence of Shima’ûn, the fire of his grief blazed up torch-like. He inquired about him, and his sons fully informed him of everything that had taken place. Then he asked: ‘Why have you revealed your secret to the A’ziz?’ They replied: ‘Because he attributed our arrival to the intention of spying out the land, and did not cease to suspect us of evil designs, it became necessary to inform him of our lineage, and we told him that we were of the family of prophets and inspired seers.’ Ya’qûb said nothing more, and when his sons commenced to open their loads they found their goods among them, and said: ‘O father, we had not told thee a falsehood when we mentioned the kind disposition of the A’ziz of Egypt. See, what we had given in exchange for food, we again find in our loads.’ Ya’qûb then pronounced a blessing upon the A’ziz; but as Shima’ûn had not returned with his brethren, his sad mood continued, and he would not be comforted. To pacify him, his sons continued: ‘Be no longer grieved and distressed, for the A’ziz of Egypt has retained Shima’un as hostage for Ebn Yâmin. There is no doubt that, if thou wilt send the latter with us, we shall have fulfilled the conditions imposed upon us; and if we bring our brother to Egypt, we shall obtain one more camel-load of wheat. But if thou failest to send him, the A’ziz of Egypt will not give us any more wheat, and will not feed us.’ Ya’qûb, however, replied: ‘I shall not send Ebn Yâmin with you to Egypt, nor do I trust your words; since your treachery and unrighteousness have become evident with reference to his brother, and have been confirmed.’ They insisted, and convinced him of their probity in this demand. Then Ya’qûb said: ‘I shall believe your words if you will strengthen your covenant with an oath.’ The brethren assented, and immediately gave the required promise on oath. Ya’qûb accordingly consented, and said: ‘God is the best keeper; He is the most merciful of the merciful.’²²⁹ As the sons of Ya’qûb were tall like cypresses, had complexions pure like water, and perfectly symmetrical bodies, the Lord Ya’qûb received a divine inspiration, in consequence of which he ordered them, for the purpose of averting the evil eye, not to enter by one, but by various gates: ‘Enter not [into the city] by one [and the same] gate, but enter by different gates.’²³⁰ It is related that on this occasion the sons of Ya’qûb requested him to send a letter, with references concerning them, to the A’ziz. Accordingly, the dweller in the house of mourning despatched an epistle, and therewith, as a present, the turban he had inherited from Ebrahim, entrusting both to the care of Yahuda and of Ebn Yâmin; and they were to deliver them to the A’ziz. Then the sons of Esrâil took leave from the fruit of the tree of the friend of God, and turned their face towards Egypt, where they arrived after traversing the desert. They dispersed according to the injunction of their father, and gradually reached the place where Shima’un was, who continually extolled to them the hospitality and great kindness of the A’ziz of Egypt, so that they spent the whole night conversing on this and similar matters:

Distich:

The night elapsed, our story remained unfinished; Is it the fault of the night that our story was long?

When it was day, and they had finished their orisons, with other religious duties, all the eleven brethren went to the palace of the A’ziz, and the veracious one was informed that those Hebrew youths had arrived, and had brought a gift of salutation from the aged Kana’anite:

Verses:

For joy his spirit was exalted; The rose of the spring laughed; But the father’s unheard message Caused him to be very sad.

At all events, he ordered them to be received with honours, and to be seated in the place of nobility and respect. After the veracious one had welcomed the brothers and inquired about the toils of the journey, he asked concerning the circumstances of Ya’qûb—i.e. of him who was sitting in the corner of grief. They replied: ‘Ere this he had consoled himself in his solitude with Ebn Yâmin for the loss of his other son; but now, as we are deprived of the opportunity to meet our father, we know not how he is, and how he spends his time.’ Then they handed the turban of Ebrahim and the letter of Ya’qûb to the A’ziz, whereby Yusuf was highly exhilarated and rejoiced, because he knew the arrival of that gift to be the approach of the happiness of prophecy and apostleship; nor would he accept the goods brought back from Kana’an by the brothers, but, refusing to accept them, said: ‘I am not in want of this merchandise.’ As the meeting had been protracted to the time in which kings eat their repasts, various plates of delicious food were brought into the assembly of the A’ziz. Yusuf retired behind the curtains of dignity, and ordered the brothers to sit two at each table; but [as their number was odd], Ebn Yâmin found himself sitting alone at one table. Then he remembered his beloved brother, and the water of regret flowed from his eyes. Yusuf perceived this from behind the curtain; fraternal love induced him to call Ebn Yâmin to his own table, and to make him his partner in the repast; he inquired about the names and circumstances of the other brothers, and said: ‘O Ebn Yâmin, if thou art willing, I shall take the place of the lost Yusuf, and shall be a brother to thee.’ Ebn Yâmin replied: ‘Thy position is very high; but oh, how pleasant it would be if the A’ziz were related to the family of Ebrahim!’ Yusuf could after these words no longer contain himself, but removed the veil [of dignity], and said: ‘I am thy beloved and lost brother Yusuf; but thou must not reveal this secret to thy brethren, lest they acknowledge their guilt and approach me with excuses and requests for pardon.’ Ebn Yâmin was highly pleased, and said: ‘I shall no more leave Egypt, for how could I after this separate myself from thee?’ Yusuf said: ‘I am meditating on this subject, and shall devise a very agreeable plan.’ Then he ordered his officials to treat the sons of Ya’qûb with the greatest respect, and invested every one of them with a robe of honour; he also commanded, with a heart full of sadness, one of his intimate secretaries to place the private drinking-cup of the king, which was set in precious stones, clandestinely into the baggage of Ebn Yâmin.

When the brethren of Yusuf had left the city with the intention of journeying to Kana’an, a number of men overtook them, one of whom shouted: ‘O company of travellers, ye are surely thieves.’ The brothers of Yusuf were greatly astonished, and turning back, exclaimed: ‘What say you, and what seek you?’ They replied: ‘We have lost the king’s drinking-cup, and whoever will restore it to us, we shall give him a camel-load of wheat.’ The sons of Ya’qûb said: ‘We swear by God, that you know, we came not to this country with the intention to do evil, and we have not been thieves. “By God ye do well know that we come not to act corruptly in the land, neither are we thieves.”’²³¹ They swore oaths, excused themselves, asked how the drinking-cup looked, and after it had been described to them, they said: ‘We have in this country even tied up the mouths of our camels, lest they might eat some of the standing crops of your fields, or some leaves of your trees. You are indeed accusing us of an illicit act.’ The messengers of Yusuf asked: ‘What shall be the punishment of him in whose baggage the drinking-cup is found?’ They replied: ‘Let him suffer for it who has perpetrated this treachery, and let him become the slave²³² of the owner of the stolen article.’ The Egyptians first examined the luggage of Ebn Yâmin’s brethren, and not finding the drinking-cup, began to search his own, in which they discovered it. When the sons of Ya’qûb perceived this, they drooped their heads for shame; then they turned towards Ebn Yâmin, and said: ‘Boy, thy father is the confidant of spiritual beings and the companion of celestials. Art thou not ashamed to soil the skirts of thy innocence with the mire of a treachery like this, and to make the family of righteous people a target for the arrows of the calumnies of the impious?’ Though Ebn Yâmin emphatically denied having committed the act, he was not believed, but was asked how the cup could be found among his goods if he had not put it there, and who could have done it?’ Ebn Yâmin said: ‘The same person has placed this cup among my goods who has clandestinely returned your merchandise.’ Rubil said: ‘Indeed this is so, and we do not know what jugglery the A’ziz of Egypt may have in view by these tricks, which he is secretly playing upon us.’ After some expostulations, the messengers of Yusuf carried away Ebn Yâmin to his highness the A’ziz. In those times the custom of the Egyptians with reference to theft was the same as in the religion of Ebrahim, i.e. the thief was kept in servitude. The brothers likewise thought themselves bound to return, and accordingly made their appearance in the assembly of Yusuf, and said: ‘If Ebn Yâmin be guilty of theft, his brother [Yusuf] had been guilty of theft before.’²³³ It is recorded in the ‘Jâmi’ Aa’zim’ that at these words the flame of Yusuf’s wrath was kindled, and that he ordered all the brothers to be punished.

There are, however, different opinions concerning the theft here ascribed to Yusuf. Some assert that the father of Rahil had a golden idol which he worshipped, but Yusuf concealed this statue when a child, and gave it to his mother Rahil to rescue her from poverty, and Labân from idolatry. Others allege that Yusuf was in the habit of secretly removing food from the table, and of distributing the same to the poor and needy. Some assert that Yusuf stole a sheep from the flock and gave it to a poor man. There are, however, various other traditions current on this subject. It is also related in the above-mentioned work, that when Yusuf ordered his brothers to be punished, they got their arms ready, and having resolved to sell their lives dearly, they drew their swords. Shima’ûn came forward the first, and said: ‘O king! I shall this moment utter a shout from the terror whereof all pregnant women will immediately become subject to the travail of parturition, and will deposit their infants on the ground.’ Yahuda said: ‘I shall, with the force of my physical strength, tear to pieces the men-devouring lions, and shall pull out with my hands the tusks from the jaws of thy furious elephants.’ The others said: ‘We shall annihilate thy valorous soldiers, and the bright day will become to them as dark as the night. We shall take possession of our brother and depart to our country.’ When Yusuf had become aware of their rage, he beckoned to his son Efrahim, to go to the rear of Yahuda and of Shima’ûn, and to draw his hand over their backs, because the veracious one knew that it was a peculiarity in the family of Ya’qûb, that every time when a member of it became angry, a descendant of Ebrahim was able to calm him, by smoothing his back in the way just mentioned. When the sons of Ya’qûb saw that they were thus suddenly appeased without any perceptible cause, they exclaimed, amazed: ‘Is any one of the descendants of Ebrahim or of the family of Ya’qûb present in this place, who was aware that by touching our bodies with his hand, he was able to extinguish the fire of our wrath?’ Then the servants of Yusuf surrounded them and made them prisoners. When they were about to take the brothers to the place of execution, Yahuda came forward and said: ‘O A’ziz, it is a long time since our father, on account of the loss of one of his sons, began sitting in the corner of solitude and became a prisoner in the army of affliction and grief, tried by the calamity of separation and exclusion. If thou inflictest capital punishment upon these, his beloved sons, and retainest one in servitude, what wilt thou say, and how wilt thou excuse thyself in the day of the resurrection—when all the just and the righteous will be assembled—to Ebrahim the friend of God, to Esahâq and to Esrâil? Moreover, our father is old, and we have made a covenant with him, that we will bring his son back to him in safety, and we have taken the Absolute Sovereign to witness our bond. Now, if we are liberated and return without him, how can we look into the face of our father, and what can we answer him? We hope your highness will pardon us and take [instead of Ebn Yâmin] one of us to be your slave; whereby the purpose of your highness and also our own will be served.’ Yusuf replied: ‘What baseness have you perceived in me, that you suppose I would retain a free man as a slave, and take the innocent in lieu of the guilty individual? Indeed, to keep the latter is in accordance with the usage of kings and the laws of the prophets. Therefore I shall keep him and pardon your transgression. Depart ye now, therefore; consider yourselves lucky to have saved your heads, and do not put me nor yourselves to further inconvenience.’

Thus it is recorded in the history of Hâfez Abru, that although the sons of Ya’qûb made use of much flattery to liberate Ebn Yâmin, it proved to be futile. Rubil, the eldest brother, became excited, and every time he was excited the hair of his body bristled up. When he roared, those who heard him died of terror, but when one of the family of Ya’qûb smoothed his back his wrath gradually subsided. In his rage he approached Yusuf and said: ‘O A’ziz, anger has so overpowered me that one shout of mine will cause all who hear it to give up their ghosts. Be therefore so gracious as to surrender to me my brother, or else I shall do something which it will be impossible to remedy.’ The veracious one knew that the words of Rubil were true, therefore he cajoled him, and told his son Efrahim to go behind his uncle slyly and to place his hand on his back. When Yusuf saw that the flame of Rubil’s anger was extinguished, he said: ‘I shall not surrender thy brother; do thou as thou listest.’ Rubil then made efforts to shout, but to his astonishment his voice refused to obey, and he said: ‘It appears that there is someone of the family of Ya’qûb here, who has, by placing his hand on my back, calmed my excitement.’

From the same work we learn that on the second occasion when the [future fathers of the] tribes came to Egypt, Yusuf showed to them the deed of sale which they had made when Mâlek Bin Za’r had purchased him, and said: ‘This is a Hebrew writing, which no one in Egypt is able to read; be kind enough to explain the contents thereof to me.’ When the sons of Ya’qûb beheld that papyrus, they saw [as it were] the book of their works, whereby they were much disturbed, and said to each other: ‘How did this writing come into the hands of the A’ziz?’ They neither wished to inform him of its contents, nor inclined to say that they could not read it. Accordingly they drooped their heads and remained mute.

Verses:

Yusuf the veracious said: O men! I have a writing in the Hebrew tongue, No one is able to read it— I shall give you much if you read it. All knew how to read Hebrew. To please the king They said: Bring forth the writ! Yusuf gave them their own writing, And all their members quaked. They would not read the document Nor reveal the cause of their refusal.

The above-named Hâfez relates that when the drinking-cup was found in the baggage of Ebn Yâmin he was taken prisoner, and his brothers followed him to the presence of Yusuf in the hopes of releasing him. Yusuf took the cup, and after holding it to his ear, spoke to the assembly as follows: ‘This drinking-cup says, “Ye were twelve brethren, and you have sold one of your number!”’ When Ebn Yâmin heard these words he kissed the earth, and said: ‘O king, ask it whether that brother is alive or not.’ Yusuf then placed his hand on the cup and replied: ‘It says that he is alive, and that thou wilt see him.’ Ebn Yâmin continued: ‘Ask it who has stolen it.’ Yusuf again placed his blessed hand on the cup, and said: ‘The cup is angry, and says, “Why askest thou who stole me, since thou hast seen me carried out of the palace?”’ When the sons of Ya’qûb despaired of being able to liberate Ebn Yâmin they departed to Kana’an, but Rubil, who had pledged himself in a covenant to the return of his brother, said: ‘I will by no means depart from the land [of Egypt] until my father give me leave [to return unto him], or Allah maketh known His will to me.’²³⁴ The brothers of Yusuf then left Egypt disappointed, arrived in Kana’an after performing the journey, and informed their father how matters stood. The dweller in the mansion of grief was again overwhelmed by feelings of melancholy, and by the desire of beholding Yusuf. Now, however, he had also to deplore the loss of two of his sons, and wept so much for them that his world-embracing eyes ceased to be sensible to the impressions of light.

It is said that on this occasion a relative of Ya’qûb, who was his intimate friend, had come on a visit and asked him about the cause which had bent down his cypress-like stature. Ya’qûb replied: ‘The loss of Yusuf.’ He again asked: ‘The dust of what affliction has entered thy world-seeing eyes?’ He replied: ‘My longing for Ebn Yâmin has reduced me to this condition.’ At that moment the following reproachful divine allocution from the Almighty reached him: ‘Why hast thou complained to another besides Me, and why hast thou related thy case to another besides Me?’ Hereupon Ya’qûb confessed his fault, and besought the Lord of Unity to pardon him. Then the following words were addressed to him: ‘As thou hast acknowledged the justice of My assertion and thy guilt, I swear by My glory and magnificence that I shall restore to thee both thy sons in safety, and I will grant thee a long time during which you may enjoy pleasure and the society of each other.’ After this Ya’qûb restrained his voice and complained no more, for fear of incurring the displeasure of the Almighty:

RECORD OF THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN YUSUF AND YA’QÛB AND THE GOING OF THE [FUTURE FATHERS OF THE] TRIBES TO EGYPT FOR THE PURPOSE OF REALIZING THEIR WISHES.

After some time had elapsed since Ebn Yâmin was separated from the Lord Ya’qûb, the latter determined to send an epistle to the A’ziz, and Fâradh, the son of Yahuda, being the most distinguished among his progeny by the gravity of his deportment and the solidity of his judgment, was summoned, and Ya’qûb dictated to him the following document: ‘Let it be known to the A’ziz of Egypt that Allah—whose name be praised and exalted—hasafflicted the family of prophets and rulers with troubles, and has tried them with various calamities. Thus my grandfather Ebrahim was placed upon an engine with his feet tied, and projected into fire. On that occasion, however, he was patient, and Allah the most high and glorious transmuted the fire for his sake into a pleasant garden. My father Esahâq was bound, and the knife placed on his throat, but he was patient until the Most High sent a ransom in his stead, and delivered him from that affliction. I had a son whom I considered to be the quintessence of my children; he was the apple of my eye, the darling of my heart, and the noblest of my progeny. Suddenly his brothers took him to the desert and returned to me only his blood-stained garment, assuring me that a wolf had devoured him. I had another son, who was born from the same mother with the one I had lost; his aspect consoled me when sorrow well-nigh overpowered me, and my grieved heart was pacified by his sight. Some time has elapsed since his brethren took also this latter one, and travelled with him to Egypt. On their return they informed me that as he had committed theft the A’ziz had retained him prisoner; but no one doubts that the base act of stealing can by no means be attributed to the family of prophets. In short, the purport of this missive is to inform thee that from the grief of separation, and the pain of longing for my children, the tranquillity of my heart and the light of my eyes have departed; I therefore expect thou wilt send back my imprisoned son to his despairing father, and wilt deliver an aged man from the misery of this affliction, that thou mayest obtain eternal felicity, for which I shall pray. In case, however, thou shouldst not comply with my request, I inform thee that I shall utter an imprecation, the consequences whereof will take effect upon thy progeny during seven generations, and no one will be able to remove them.’

By order of Ya’qûb, Fâradh took this epistle and departed with it to Egypt, where he arrived in a short time; and, watching his opportunity, he honoured the assembly of the veracious one at a suitable opportunity with his presence, handing the said epistle to his lordship. During the perusal of this letter tears flowed from the eyes of Yusuf. He sent, however, the following reply: ‘The noble letter and sublime message which thou hast written in the height of pain and grief has reached me, and informed me of the troubles and misery endured by thine excellent ancestors, as well as of the affliction suffered by thyself for the loss of thy children, dear to thee as life, and precious as thine own eyes. But as there is no other remedy except patience, I recommend thee to suffer as thy noble forefathers have suffered, until thou art made happy by the fulfilment of thy wishes, as they also ultimately attained theirs. Farewell!’ When Yusuf had finished this writing, he honoured Fâradh with exquisite civilities and numerous favours. When he dismissed him, Fâradh borrowed from the lightning its velocity, and on arriving after a brief time in Kana’an he presented the answer to his [grand]father; whereon Ya’qûb pondered for a while on the signification of the letter, and said: ‘These words resemble the sayings of prophets, and of their descendants.’ After that Ya’qûb said to his children: ‘Arise, go ye all to Egypt; inquire about your brothers, and despair not of divine mercy; for the breeze of their meeting reaches the wounded heart and the sorrowing mind through this letter.’ The children of Esrâil consequently again made their preparations for the journey, and took with them such goods as they could procure, namely, wood, prepared goat-skins, dirhems, berries, green seeds, cones of fir-trees—according to different traditions—to Egypt, where they arrived after accomplishing a long and tedious journey, and were made happy by being admitted to kiss the hand of the veracious one, to whom they forthwith proffered words of petition, and said: ‘O A’ziz, the family of Ya’qûb has, in consequence of the hardness of the times, fallen into the grasp of difficulty and trouble, and in consequence of the scarcity of this year of famine his children have become weary of life. Wilt thou accept the merchandise of us who are wandering in the dale of perplexity, and who are distressed by separation? And wilt thou, in the superabundance of thy bounty, condescend to bestow on us a gift [of provisions] in return for our goods?’ This statement is authenticated by the word of God, as follows: ‘Noble [lord], the famine is felt by us and our family, and we are come with a small sum of money; yet give unto us full measure, and bestow [corn] upon us [as] alms; for Allah rewardeth the almsgivers.’²³⁵ After Yusuf had heard the pity-exciting words of his brothers, he was no longer able to contain himself, and said to himself: ‘It is not humane on my part to allow my family to be thus afflicted by the hardship and injuries of the times, whilst I am reposing in pleasure and enjoyment.’ Therefore he said to them: ‘Do you know what ye did to Yusuf, and unto his brother?’²³⁶ And, throwing back the veil of his countenance, he displayed to them the verse of the clemency of the Merciful One; that is to say, he displayed to them the Qurân of his beauty. When his brethren had looked inquisitively at him, they beheld the mole which Yusuf had obtained from his grandfather and grandmother—i.e. from Esahâq and Sarah—for an inheritance as his portion of beauty, when the shares necessary for the support of life were distributed, and which the Sovereign Creator had fixed on the page of his beauty for the purpose of averting the evil eye.²³⁷ When they beheld this mark they asked: ‘Art thou really Yusuf?’²³⁸ Because, despite of this sign, and the reproachful question he had just addressed to them, they were still doubtful in their minds how the limner of the times could have produced such a picture, and how the fascination of events could mix such a colour, that a slave belonging to an owner should have, without any connections, risen to the pomp and circumstance of royalty, and have obtained the dignity of governorship. Nor could they understand how a low person was able, from the base position of exile, to ascend to the dignity of an A’ziz of Egypt, and say: ‘I am Yusuf, and this is my brother.’²³⁹ Yusuf being of a gentle and noble disposition, did not wait for his brothers to approach him with supplications for the pardon of their transgressions, but forestalled them, and opened his mouth with thanksgivings, saying: ‘Gratitude is due to the Almighty, who has changed our separation into conjunction, and has rejoiced the sons of Esrâil by causing them to meet each other.’ The brothers, who perceived the equity and compassion of Yusuf, acknowledged his virtue and said: ‘By Allah! now hath Allah chosen thee above us.’²⁴⁰ Yusuf considered all their deeds as undone, pardoned their offences, and besought the Lord of Glory to forgive all their crimes. He asked about the circumstances of the dweller in the house of lamentation, u. w. b, etc., and after being informed about him he turned his face towards his brethren and said: ‘Take to-morrow morning my garment, which is the means of recovery for the sick, as well as the cause of safety to the separated, and rub it over the face of my father, that he may recover his eyesight.’ Theologians disagree about this garment. Some say that it was one usually worn by Yusuf, whilst others allege that it was the robe inherited by Ya’qûb from the Friend [Ebrahim], which had been made into an amulet suspended from the neck of Yusuf, and according to others from his arm. At any rate, Yahuda came forward to perform this service, and said: ‘This is my business, since on the first day I brought the blood-stained robe to our father, and have afflicted his fatigued heart with this grief, it is possible that the performance of this service may atone for that crime.’

RECORD OF YAHUDA’S GOING FROM EGYPT TO KANA’AN, AND THE LIBERATION OF THE DWELLER IN THE HOUSE OF GRIEF FROM THE MISFORTUNE OF SEPARATION.

The next morning, when the gold-clad Yusuf of the sun elevated his head from the recess of the horizon, Yahuda took the garment of Yusuf, left the city, surrendered the bridle of his journey to Kana’an into the hands of the guide of fate, and when he had arrived outside the gates, he took the garment according to the intimation received from Yusuf to that effect, when the Almighty—w. n. b. pr.—ordered the wind, who is the courier of lovers and the herald of friends, to bear the odour of

Hemistich:

Yusuf’s robe, that illuminates the eye,

from Egypt to Kana’an in less than the twinkling of an eye, and the circumstances of the case summoned the messenger of longing persons to convey the following words [to Ya’qûb]:

Distich:

The smell of Yusuf’s robe was lost; At last it is found, to abide with thee.

That very moment the lord Ya’qûb snuffed this breeze, and was by the life-imparting perfume thereof informed of the lustre of the rose-grove of meeting Yusuf. He then turned his face towards his descendants, and said: ‘I hope you will not accuse me of levity and superstition, when I apprise you that this matutinal breeze has conveyed the odour of Yusuf to the olfactory organ of my mind, and that I have felt the perfume of meeting the rose-grove of his face:

Verses:

Who passes, that amber odour comes; Who goes, that such pleasure comes? Ya’qûb gives the news of Yusuf lost, Perhaps a herald from Egypt to Kana’an comes.’

His children and family unanimously exclaimed:

Verses:

They said: O father, thou art far mistaken, Still with thy son’s love thou art taken; No breeze of Yusuf has reached thy mind, Thy heart is still in its former aberration. God knows, since Yusuf’s fate is evident, Thou always prophesiest about Yusuf!

They said: ‘By Allah! thou art in thine old mistake.’²⁴¹ After some days had elapsed, Yahuda suddenly made his appearance, brought the news of Yusuf’s safety, with many greetings and salutations from the veracious one. He drew forth the garment, placed it on his father’s face, who then suddenly recovered his lost sight; the light of his vision became associated with the pupil of his eye, and Ya’qûb was restored to his former sound condition. Then he asked Yahuda: ‘How hast thou left Yusuf?’ He replied: ‘I left him reigning over kingdoms, and exalted above other men.’ Ya’qûb continued: ‘I do not ask about matters of dominion and government, but I want to know in what faith and religion thou hast found him?’ Yahuda replied: ‘He is steadfast in the religion of Ebrahim, and in following thine example.’ Ya’qûb continued: ‘My son, thou hast so rejoiced my mind, and freed my heart from grief, that I pray to God—whose benefits are universal—that He may spare thee the hardship of separation, and may alleviate to thee the terrors of the agony of death.’ Yahuda said: ‘Be prepared to travel to Egypt, for I expect the courier of the veracious one to arrive very soon, with vehicles for conveying all thy descendants and family, thy cattle, slaves, and everything movable, to Egypt as soon as possible.’ The next day the envoys of Yusuf made their appearance with one hundred and fifty camels of mountain-like stature and awful aspect, swift as the wind, and accustomed to travel. Each carried on its back a howdah of Kumâri [Comorin?] wood, each of the said litters being also provided with the necessary carpets and curtains. Twenty saddle-mules that equalled the morning breeze in swiftness also arrived, as well as thirty Arab horses, in comparison to whose celerity the motion of the lunar orb was considered to be but a play.

With reference to his preparation and departure, Esrâil was waiting for a divine inspiration, whereon Jebrâil hastily descended from the mansion of glory, which is the abode of the blessed and the fortunate, and brought leave for the journey to Ya’qûb, who spent three days more in preparations, and started on the fourth with his spouse Lia, the aunt of Yusuf, and with all his followers. The inhabitants of Kana’an had been for many years accustomed to listen to the gracious instructions of Esrâil, and to repose at the table of his benefits and of his mission. They despaired at not being able any longer to enjoy the happiness and blessings of his beneficent propinquity, and took affectionate leave of him, prostrating themselves near his vehicle, and touching with their foreheads the howdah in which he sat. Ya’qûb dismissed every one of them with his blessing, and implored the Boundless Giver to keep them in health, safety, and affluence, and in the ordinances of the Law. His eyes overflowed with tears when he parted with those beloved ones, till at last they disappeared from his sight. The servant of Yusuf had at every stage provided an abundant table for the supply of Ya’qûb and his family, and when, after traversing a considerable distance, he arrived in the vicinity of Egypt, Yahuda despatched his beloved son Fâradh in advance, with the news of Ya’qûb’s approach; and as soon as Yusuf was informed thereof, he asked leave from Riân Bin Valeed, to proceed in the company of his brethren from Egypt to meet his father. The king replied: ‘I myself shall in this matter agree with thee and proceed in thy company, that I may in the next world participate with thee in the beneficial consequences ensuing from this good act.’ Accordingly Riân ordered that on the next day the generals of the army, the grandees of the court, and the nobles of the kingdom, should in one cavalcade leave the city with him. When Yusuf proceeded in full pomp to meet his noble father:

Verses:

Magnificent cavaliers come forth, Crowned heads on foot near him. Having the hem of the sun for a mantle, The moon the slave of his stirrup,242 The shouts of the victors advancing Removed the evil eye from the universe.

When Ya’qûb beheld that multitude, he asked Yahuda whether it was not Riân Bin Valeed, the reigning monarch, who is approaching? His son replied: ‘No, it is thy prosperous son, the A’ziz of Egypt, who comes to meet thee.’ Hereon Ya’qûb alighted from his horse, and leaning on his son Yahuda, began to advance. Yusuf, who recognised Yahuda, perceived an aged, decrepit and stooping man walking by his side, and was convinced that it must be Ya’qûb. Therefore he, and also Riân Bin Valeed, dismounted. Yusuf overtook the king and advanced towards his father; but when he intended to begin his salutations and greetings, he was suddenly prohibited, neither is it known what moved Divine Wisdom to cause this hindrance. Then Ya’qûb addressed his beloved son, saying: ‘Salutation to thee, O remover of grief! Salutation to thee, O diminisher of travail and of vileness!’ Then both embraced each other till they fainted.²⁴³ When they recovered, Yusuf took his father’s hand to lead him to the king, and Riân, being a believer in the prophetship of Ebrahim and of his house, laid his royal dignity upon the balcony of oblivion, and prostrated himself at the feet of Ya’qûb. When the children of the latter were made happy by meeting him, they confessed their sin, and requested him to beseech the Lord and pardoner of transgressions, at a moment most propitious for response to prayers, to forgive them. Then Ya’qûb made his entrance into the city in full pomp, the A’ziz conducted him with his sons to a private palace, seated him with his spouse Lia, Yusuf’s aunt, on a throne, where he himself also respectfully took his place with them. On that occasion Ya’qûb, Lia, and the eleven brothers worshipped Yusuf, which was, however, a worship of salutation, and not of adoration and service. His lordship the veracious one said: ‘O my father, this is the interpretation of my vision [which I saw] before.’²⁴⁴ After this the A’ziz mentioned the divine blessings which ensued after his troubles, and related all his adventures to his father. Then he presented every one of his brothers with a delightful mansion in a pleasant locality, and appointed also certain revenues for them. After he had thus installed them, and had relieved his noble mind by liberally providing for them, the children of Esrâil lived in comfort and affluence, until God decreed to them what He did decree, and called them to honour.

RECORD OF THE DECEASE OF YA’QÛB; SALUTATIONS AND
GREETINGS TO HIM.

After the union of Ya’qûb with Yusuf had lasted for seventeen, and according to others twenty-four years, the commissioner of death suddenly knocked at the door-ring of Ya’qûb’s prosperous mansion by the decree of fate, and the chains of the fatal moment jingled at the entrance to his private apartment. Esrâil, being perfectly aware of his inability to elude the grasp of A’zrayil either by rest or by flight, assembled his children, made his last will, appointed Yusuf to be his executor and successor, and said: ‘When I depart from this perishable to the everlasting abode, I desire to be transferred by you to the holy city of the society of Ebrahim and Esahâq, and to become a companion of the pious and of the righteous.’ He had not yet finished these words, when the high-soaring Homâi of his pure spirit flew, in the company of the Cherubim of the sublime mansion, to the propinquity of the mercy of the Most Gracious One, and this unstable world was denuded and deprived of his excellent virtues and noble qualities. ‘We belong to Allah, and unto him we return.’²⁴⁵

HIS PERSONAL DESCRIPTION, TRADE, LENGTH OF MISSION,
AND HIS AUGUST TOMB.

He resembled Esahâq, and had a mole upon one of the cheeks of his very luminous face. He was tall and lean, sincere, long - suffering and patient, and had to endure much sorrow and grief.

He was at first engaged in keeping sheep; his children also followed the same occupation, pursuing the advantages and trades connected therewith. According to some traditions he laboured in his mission fifty, and lived one hundred and forty-seven years, but according to others he died at the age of one hundred and fifty years. Tha’alebi says that A’is [Esau] and Ya’qûb died on the same day; and that their age was exactly the same.

When Ya’qûb departed from the mansion of this world, his blessed body was, after the ceremony of shrouding it, placed in a stone-coffin, but according to another tradition in a sarcophagus of ebony, and was carried away from Egypt. The U’lamâ of the country accompanied the funeral procession to a distance of five fârsakhs, and returned in the suite of Yusuf, who had entrusted the coffin to his son Efraim until it arrived in the region of Ailia, which is the resting-place of prophets, where it was buried by the side of Ebrahim and Esahâq.²⁴⁶ The tradition of the ‘A’râis-ut-tafsir’ is that when the coffin of Ya’qûb arrived in the Holy Land the corpse of A’is also came at the same time, because these two noble brothers entered into and departed from the world at the same period. The mourners buried these two treasures and pearls in the same shell. O Allah! Bless our prophet with all the prophets and inspired messengers, and those whom they loved, and their brothers, among the witnesses and the righteous!

RECORD OF SOME MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS OMITTED IN THE PRECEDING NARRATIVE, AND ALSO OF YUSUF’S MARRIAGE WITH ZULEIKHA.

When the administration of the affairs of Egypt devolved upon Yusuf, and the A’ziz had removed the furniture of rest from the perishable to the eternal abode,²⁴⁷ Riân Bin Valeed desired to make the disappointed Zuleikha happy, and proposed to Yusuf to marry her. Although protracted longing had made Zuleikha weak and lean, and her eyes had become white in her expectation of seeing Yusuf, the feathers and wings of the pea-fowl of her beauty had been broken by the hunter of love, and the tyranny of the unpropitious times had thrown the stone of separation upon her matrimonial affairs, she, nevertheless, expected and waited for a union, and was unable to sleep either day or night, on account of her desire for pleasant showers from the beneficent clouds of that moon-faced Kana’anite; and though she had [for a while] been Yusuf’s enemy, she opened her mouth in praises to the Benign Sovereign, when she perceived the willingness of Yusuf to comply with the wishes her friends had expressed to him:

Verses:

Though our lover be unkind, He is fixed in our heart and eye; If he remembers us very rarely, Let him recollect his obligations to us. Let not his love to us decrease, Let not our heart be merry when he grieves. He ought to comply with his friends, He ought to recollect afflicted hearts.

Whilst the king was trying to bring this matter to a conclusion, and Zuleikha was hopeful, a divine inspiration arrived to the following effect: ‘O veracious one, it is time for thee to assist that grief-stricken and bowed-down one, and to introduce her into thy private harem, since the banns of your marriage and the Fathehah²⁴⁸ of your espousals have, by the decree of fate, been read in the heavenly assembly, and the knot of your conjunction and union has been tied. When Yusuf had been apprised of the decayed and feeble condition of Zuleikha, he implored the Lord of Glory to bestow upon her the days of youth again, and the verdure of the meadow of life:

Verses:

Her dying beauty He revived, To her spirit He gave the robe of joy, To the dried-up river He restored water, Which refreshed the garden of her youth; From her camphor the musk of Tartary arose, From her morning the dark night arose.249

When the prayer of Yusuf had been responded to, the flower of the rose-garden of Zuleikha’s beauty forthwith recovered its freshness; and its stature, which had, in consequence of the decree of fate, become curved like a bow, again resembled a tall cypress by the river-side of amenity, so that after the age of forty years she turned back to eighteen. By order of the Eternal Sovereign the matrimonial knot was tied between them according to the law of the Lord Ebrahim, u. w. b. etc.—

Verses:

According to the rule of the Friend, and of Ya’qûb’s religion, In a handsome manner and with lovely countenance He married Zuleikha. He obtained a pearl.

After all strangers had left the palace of the A’ziz both of them entered a private apartment, and reposed on a soft couch:

Verses:

They united, body and soul, in such a way, That soul from body and body from soul did not separate. The king strung that pearl which we cannot string, There are many words that we cannot sing.

When the tree of Zuleikha’s hopes was fertilized by the fruit of prosperity, the Lord and Creator of mankind presented her with three noble children, namely, two sons, who were called Meesha and Efrahim, and a daughter of happy presage who was surnamed Rahmat [i.e. Mercy]. Their progeny greatly increased in the world by the favour of God, which He bestoweth upon whom He willeth, and He is vast in His beneficence and most wise.

NOTICE ABOUT THE WITNESS OF YUSUF’S CHASTITY.

Sa’id Bin Jobeir and Zohâq state that the witness to the chastity of the veracious one was a sucking-babe and the son of Zuleikha’s aunt. A’krama and Qotâda say that he was a wise and upright man, who had by his great acuteness guided the A’ziz out of the valley of confusion and had led him into the straight path. Mujâhad says that he was a courtier and confidant of the family of the A’ziz, who was at that time sitting with him at the door of the palace. Asdi states that he was the son of Zuleikha’s uncle, and well known among the people as a very virtuous person. Others assert that the witness to Yusuf’s chastity was the brother of the A’ziz, who was the general accountant and calculator; whilst some allege that this witness was not of the human, but of the angelic race. The opinion of two other parties is, that he was a miraculous individual created by the Almighty for the above purpose, and that he was nevermore seen again after bearing his testimony to the chastity of Yusuf. Others again imagine that the fact itself [of the garment torn in the rear] was a sufficient evidence; and it is known to intelligent readers as being alluded to also in the glorious book, where Allah says: ‘A witness of her own family bore testimony,’ etc.²⁵⁰ The opinions, however, enounced by theologians, and mentioned by some historians, have been recorded here. Allah knows the true state of the case best.

DEPARTURE OF THE LORD YUSUF—U. W. B., ETC.—FROM THE
MANSION OF VEXATION TO THE IMPERISHABLE KINGDOM.

When Riân Bin Valeed, who had, during the lifetime of the veracious one, made a profession of the religion of Islâm and of Monotheism, bade farewell to royalty and the time of his government came to an end, a wicked infidel of the sons of his uncles, Qabûs Bin Mâsab by name, ascended the throne of dominion in his stead, and ordered the customs of the Faraa’nites and of the A’mâlekites, which had during the equitable sway of Riân been blotted out from the pages of the times, to be revived. Though Yusuf —u. w. b., etc.—admonished him much, in consequence of divine inspiration, to abandon his wicked intentions, Qabûs refused, and would not believe in the prophetship of the veracious one; despite of this, however, with all his infidelity and blasphemy, he thought it incumbent upon himself to honour Yusuf, and considered the upholding of the latter’s dignity to be one of the buttresses of the castle of royalty. When Yusuf despaired of Qabûs’s accepting the religion of Islâm, and his vexation increased by the refusal of Qabûs, he became weary of the length of his own life, so that during a certain night, when the inhabitants of the world reposed in the tranquillity of sleep from their occupations and conversations about separation and meeting, he prayed to the Almighty, saying: ‘O beneficent granter of requests, and merciful protector of Thy servants, Thou hast translated me from the affliction of the well to the happiness of dignity, and hast promoted me from the baseness of servitude to the summit of magnificence; hast illuminated my mind with the light of interpretation of dreams, and hast deposited in the storehouse of my intellect the secrets of the treasure of prophecy and of inspired messengership; liberate now the bird of my soul, which has become weary of the cage of its body; send it to the rose-garden of paradise, and gather me to my fathers Ebrahim the friend, Esahâq, Esma’il, A’is, and Esrâil.’ After Yusuf had become certain that this request had been granted, he assembled his brothers around himself and took solemn leave of them. He appointed Yahuda, who was most distinguished by the light of his intellect, and the nobility of his disposition, to be the ruler and governor of the children of Esrâil and of the adherents of the family of the Friend, and ordered all of them to submit to his commands and prohibitions. The children of Ya’qûb accepted Yusuf’s injunctions, and asked: ‘After thy decease what will be the state of the affairs of those attached to the family of the prophets in good and in bad times, in strength and in weakness?’ Yusuf answered: ‘Remain ye steadfast in the religion of Ebrahim, and follow your ancestors; because the Almighty—w. n. b. e.—has predestined blessings for your seed, and He will bring your affairs to the desired termination. But after my decease a despot, oppressor, tyrant, and descendant of the A’mâlekites and Qabats [Copts?], will for a short time prevail over the kingdom of Egypt, and forgetting human nature will lay claim to be worshipped as divine. The Omnipotent and Glorious Lord will tolerate these tyrants for four hundred years, during which they will reduce all the children of Esrâil to the condition of slavery; and the sign of the commencement of that calamity will be that every white chanticleer that is in the houses of the children of Esrâil will become mute and silent, nor will his voice ever be heard by the good or the bad. When the reign of that accursed deceiver will be approaching its termination, a prophet of the name of Mûsa will arise from the tribe of my brother Lavi, and in consequence of his beneficent approach the white cocks will again begin to crow. That inspired prophet will, with plain words and evident signs, discomfit that heedless turncoat, and will by a miracle send that wretched oppressor, indulging in blasphemous aspirations, through water to the infernal regions. You must enjoin your descendants from generation to generation that when the said prophet makes his appearance, takes the census of your numbers, and leads you all out from Egypt, to request him to take up my coffin from the tomb, and to convey it along with himself to the sepulchre of my honoured ancestors, and to bury it there.’

Verses:

This he said, and moistened his eyes with tears, And departed to another land. Though you all may dislike this journey, All of us will have to perform it.

YUSUF’S PERSONAL DESCRIPTION, QUALITIES, LAW, MIRACLES, TRADE, THE LENGTH OF HIS SEPARATION, DURATION OF HIS LIFE, AND THE LOCALITY OF HIS AUGUST TOMB.

He had curled ringlets, a white complexion, and a symmetrical body. His blessed eyes were large and open; when he smiled his countenance was lit up, and when he spoke rays issued from his mouth. His face is said to have resembled that of Adam, u. w. b., etc., as it had been before his fall.

He was patient and grave, an interpreter of visions, of secret matters, and of future events. He honoured and respected U’lamâ and those who are invested with the robe of dignity; he was the noble son of a noble parent. The most abundant salutations and greetings to our prophet and to him.

He followed the customs of his ancestors, and deviated by no means from them. He worked many miracles, and when he was asked for one at the time of admonishing Qabûs Bin Masâb, he prayed, whereon the leaves of a green tree, which was near the throne of the king, were transmuted into variegated silk. On another occasion a blind child was brought to him; his lordship took off the veil from the face of the infant, looked at it, and it obtained sight. Zuleikha also was, from a state of old age and weakness, by the life-imparting breath of his lordship, restored to the freshness and vigour of youth, as has been mentioned above.

It is said that in his youth he was inclined to commerce, and had surrendered his capital to trustees who were to trade therewith for him; but when he ascended the throne of dignity he engaged in no other duties besides those of government and prophetship.

Walbi states that the time of his separation amounted to twenty-two years, A’bdullah Bin Shudub, however, says that it lasted seventy, and Sari Bin Yahia seventy-seven years. Hasan Bosri and other followers assert that it consisted of eighty years, but Salmân Pârsi,²⁵¹ and the majority of theologians—u. w. b., etc.—are of opinion that the period of the departure and separation of his lordship was forty years, and this view has obtained currency among historians.

It is related that in the Pentateuch the duration of his life is set down at one hundred and ten years.²⁵² Hamâm Bin Munia states that he attained the age of one hundred and seven, Muhammad Bin Esahâq one hundred and eighteen, and Tha’alebi gives him in the ‘A’râis’ one hundred and twenty years, which is also the opinion adopted by the chief chroniclers.

It is added that when he bade farewell to the corporeal world, his brothers took the coffin to the distance of one mile from the buildings of the city and buried it in the river Nile. As the U’lamâ, the grandees, the nobles, and the middle classes of every locality, wished to have his tomb near them, a revolt well-nigh broke out, which would have involved Egypt in trouble; accordingly, the most intelligent persons considered it suitable to inter his pure body in the Nile, so that its blessings might redound upon the high and the low, the gentle and the simple, and so that, as the inhabitants of the world turn to the Ka’bah, the people of Egypt might likewise turn towards the water as the Qiblah of their aspirations. That treasure of beauty was for a long time resting at the bottom of the Nile, until Mûsa Kelim²⁵³ —to whom be salutation and greeting—brought it out from that place and buried it in the field of the Friend, and the sepulchre of Esrâil, as shall be recorded in the narrative of Mûsa the prophet, if it pleaseth Allah the unique and the most glorious.

RECORD OF THE TRIBES OF YA’QÛB, U. W. B., ETC.

In the verses of the Qurân, by the tribes, the children of Ya’qûb—u. w. b., etc.—are meant, and the majority of historians consider them to have been inspired prophets. They reckon that they were three hundred and thirteen in number, and that every one of them was engaged in guiding his progeny [into the right way]. No one, however, has written about the circumstances of the brothers of the veracious one in detail. The author of this work has searched through most of the foreign [i.e. not Moslem] histories, but could find nothing except the numbers of the descendants of the tribes of Ya’qûb when Mûsa, the son of E’mrân, led them out of Egypt; as much, however, as he was able to ascertain he will narrate as follows:

Rubil begat four sons, whose progeny increased so considerably that Mûsa found in the first census the number of those among them who were above twenty and under fifty years of age, to amount to sixty thousand warriors. At that time the chieftain of this tribe was called Ail Sûri, the son of Sadi.

Shâkhâr likewise begat four sons, whose descendants multiplied so that in the first census the number of men able to bear arms, between the ages of twenty and fifty years, consisted of forty-one thousand and five hundred individuals, and at the time of the enumeration the name of their chieftain was Nashil, son of Sûa’âr.

Vân had two sons, from whom a great nation originated, which amounted in the first census to the number of sixty-two thousand six hundred soldiers. The headman of this tribe was A’ir, the son of A’mi Shadâi.

Zabâlûn had three sons, whose progeny amounted in the first census [likewise] to sixty-two thousand six hundred, and, according to some, to fifty-five thousand and four hundred warriors, besides old men and children. Their chief was at that time Allâd, the son of Hilvân.

Tha’bâli had four sons, and their seed amounted in the first census to fifty-three thousand four hundred individuals, whose headman was at that time Jyraâ’, the son of A’inân.

Asheer likewise had four sons, whose number amounted at the time of the census to forty-one thousand five hundred warriors. Their chieftain was Bara’âil, the son of A’jrân.

Gad had six sons, whose descendants consisted at the time of the enumeration to forty-one thousand and six hundred and fifty men. The headman of this tribe was at that time Bâisâf, son of A’vâil.

Shima’ûn’s descendants who were older than twenty and younger than fifty years amounted at that time to fifty-nine thousand three hundred men, whose ruler was Shalovi, the son of Sûri.

Yusuf—u. w. b., etc.—had two sons and one daughter, whose progeny amounted in the census to seventy thousand five hundred men. Their chieftainship was divided between Shalla’, the son of A’môd, and Kamalla, the son of Hallahô.

Ebn Yâmin had thirteen children, the descendants of whom amounted in the first census to the number of thirty-five thousand and four hundred. The leader of their tribe was A’minûd.

Yahuda begat five sons, whose progeny amounted in the first census to seventy-four thousand and one hundred warriors. The government of this nation was in the family of Bakhshûn, the son of A’mâd.

Of the children of Lâvi twenty-two thousand men were counted, the noblest of whom were Alsâgân, the son of A’rmâil, and Sanki, the son of Sûbaril, son of Shajâil; but Allah is most wise.²⁵⁴

RECORD OF AIÛB [i.e. JOB], THE GRATEFUL AND PATIENT
PROPHET, U. W. B., ETC.

Aiûb—upon whom be the blessing of the pardoning Sovereign—had for his mother one of the virtuous daughters from the chamber of innocence of Lôt the prophet. According to one tradition his father was of the children of A’is [Esau], the son of Esahâq. Muhammad Jarir-ut-Tabari has, however, rejected this tradition, and alleged that none of the children of A’is were distinguished by the previous dignity of prophetship. The spouse of Aiûb, who consoled him in his state of helplessness, is by some asserted to have been the fortunate daughter of Ya’qûb, her name being Duniah [Dinah?]. The majority of historians, however, agree that the wife of Aiûb was Rahmat, the daughter of Efrahim, the son of Yusuf. At any rate, his lordship was distinguished by great possessions, abundant revenues, innumerable quantities of cattle, other quadrupeds, and landed property. He had numerous intelligent children, multitudes of servants and slaves. He separated himself from the population of Syria, and was constantly engaged in feeding the needy, cherishing the poor, instructing orphans, and comforting the distressed, always thanking and praising the Almighty. When the traveller across the celestial mansions [sic] beheld the sincerity of his adoration, and the guilelessness of his conscience in the performance of religious duties, he informed the angelic hosts, and showed the purity of his religious sentiments to the dwellers in the holy regions. The angels then besought the Lord of Magnificence, saying: ‘Our God and Lord, Thou hast distinguished one of Thy servants by copious favours, and Thou hast, despite his worldly opulence, adorned his head with the crown of inspired messengership, and hast invested his stature with the robe of prophecy; Thou hast given him a meek heart, a free mind, and a healthy body; how should this servant not obey Thee? and how could he avoid Thy reprobation if he were to relax his duties, and to be remiss in his religious observances? If he were to spend every moment of his life in thanksgivings, he could not requite one of the blessings received from Thee! If he were to omit his duties in one single instance he would, in the opinion of all the righteous, incur the guilt of responsibility and rebellion!’ When the prayers of the angels had ceased, this divine allocution reached them: ‘Since you attribute his good acts and laudable deeds to his opulence and the sincerity of his religion to his riches; be ye aware that I shall take these away from him, and subject him to indigence in order to convince you how firm and constant he is in the duties of adoration and obedience.’ A short time after this, Aiûb became afflicted with various troubles, and in seven days all his cattle perished, but he did not cease to pray, to fast, and to praise God even more than before.²⁵⁵ On the eighth day, when his children had gone to school, an earthquake²⁵⁶ took place, which so shook the house that all his sons were buried under its ruins. Their loving father, having been apprised of this dreadful accident, was distressed for some time, but taking hold of the strong cable of patience he pronounced the blessed verse: ‘We belong to Allah, and unto him we shall surely return,’²⁵⁷ and taking his position at the altar, he adored the Creator who has no partner. On that occasion strong heat overpowered his precious nature, and troubled his unparalleled body; at last, however, that ardour degenerated into a burning fever, and his malady increased to such a degree, that skilful physicians despaired of his recovery, and that his own family and friends shunned his company.

In some trustworthy chronicles that state of Aiûb’s affairs and the beginning of his troubles are described in another way than that which has been here recorded. The princes of the realms of literature are great critics; the author of these pages, therefore, refrains from prolixity, which is disapproved by all intelligent persons, who might, from a regard for the writer of these lines, and for the hearers of these stories, say with the tongue of the circumstances:

Distich:

Though a man may have the patience of Aiûb, He cannot live as long as Nûh [to record events].

On some occasions, however, the author has lost the bridle of self-restraint from his hands, and the pen, as his pleasantly trotting courser, diverts itself by jotting down various traditions. The writer certainly believes and confidently hopes, that the enlightened and kind reader will, in conformity with the saying that ‘whatever [produce] is profitable to men, they continue [to cultivate] it on the earth,’ be inclined to peruse these pages in their totality, wishing that his life may be as long as that of Nûh, and that the enemies of the threshold of his dignity and station may be overtaken by the deluge of affliction, and may in the sea of exclusion be drowned by the waves of perdition. Trusting that under providence, and by his own strenuous efforts, the author will be able to bring this collection of histories and biographies of exalted individuals of various countries to a prosperous conclusion, he confides in the grace of God, and proceeds as follows:

The Emâms of historians have related that in ancient times the accursed Satan ascended to heaven and conversed with the angels, offering his petitions occasionally at the palace of omnipotence, some of which were responded to. When Aiûb attained the dignity of a prophet, he also became outwardly very religious and a great almsgiver, and more so than any of his contemporaries. When Satan found no opportunity to seduce him, or to inspire him with diabolical suggestions, the flames of envy blazed up in his impure entrails, and he felt great enmity towards him. Then the exclamation reached the devil from the mysterious curtains of grandeur to the following purport: ‘O accursed one, Aiûb is my pious, sincere, and grateful servant, and thou hast no power to deceive him and to lead him astray.’ Satan replied: ‘O Lord, how can I touch him, and why ought not he to be grateful to Thee, despite all the wealth and prosperity which Thou hast bestowed upon him, and with all the children wherewith Thou hast rejoiced him? If Thou wilt take away what Thou hast given him, he will not adore Thee even once, and will turn away from Thy worship.’²⁵⁸ Then the divine allocution came: ‘O Eblis, thou hast lied, and thy surmise about one whom I have elected is false.’ Satan rejoined: ‘Appoint me over the children and property of Aiûb, that Thou mayest see how his obedience will be changed to rebellion.’ The Omnipotent Sovereign continued: ‘I appoint thee over the children and property of Aiûb.’ Eblis now rejoiced, assembled his offspring and adherents, explained to them what had taken place, and ordered some of them to drown the sheep and cattle of Aiûb in water. Then he himself appeared in the guise of a shepherd, to inform Aiûb of his misfortunes. The latter, however, recognised him, and said: ‘Thanks be to God, He has, by His justice, taken away from me that which He had granted to me by His bounty, and if thou hadst been with the sheep, the Almighty—w. n. b. pr.— would have annihilated thee also with them.’ Satan arose disappointed and sad, returned and commanded his legions and assistants to burn the harvests, fields and meadows of Aiûb with fire. Then he assumed the shape of one of Aiûb’s agents, and said to him: ‘O Aiûb, thou art praying, and now the fire has devoured thy sown fields and fruit-trees, and has reduced them to ashes.’ Aiûb repeated his former answer, and began to pray. Eblis returned vexed and distressed, destroyed all the [remaining] possessions of Aiûb, and informed him one by one of their loss; but Aiûb reiterated his former reply, with a melancholy countenance. Eblis, having been unsuccessful in his preceding machinations, now shook the house in which the children of Aiûb, endowed with propitious signs, were being educated, whereon it fell and destroyed them. Then he went to Aiûb and brought him the news of this catastrophe; but that noble individual placed the head of assent upon the handle of confidence and patience, and was not at all influenced by that information. Then the stoned Satan²⁵⁹ continued: ‘O my God, Aiûb knows that, instead of the children and possessions which have perished, Thou wilt make him a better reparation, and therefore he does not complain. Give me power over his body that I may act as I deem fit.’ Then the exclamation arrived: ‘I give thee power over his body, excepting only his tongue, audition, sight, and heart; because he needs his tongue for [uttering] prayers, his audition for hearing revelations, his sight to behold created things, and his heart for gratitude; therefore I have preserved these organs from thy power.’ When Eblis was dismissed, he made his appearance in the form of a sorcerer, and breathed a wind into Aiûb’s nostrils, which so heated his blessed nature that it produced the itch, in consequence whereof all his skin and flesh pealed off; but his lordship did not lament, complain, moan or manifest any signs of suffering; on this point, however, traditions differ. When the malady became chronic, and worms had commenced to infest his blessed limbs, they exhaled a great stench, so that the inhabitants made a hut outside the town in which they housed him, and after that no living being cared for him except his noble spouse Rahmat, who girded her waist of diligence and agility, and the loins of sincerity, in his service. When she had spent all she possessed to support Aiûb, and nothing remained, she hired herself out as a day-labourer, but distributed one-half of her gains in alms, hoping thereby to procure her husband’s recovery, and with the other moiety she purchased food for Aiûb. Traditionalists have recorded, that every time Aiûb’s spouse went out to work, the accursed Eblis obstructed her way, saying: ‘It is a pity that thou shouldst, with all thy beauty, be obliged to gain a livelihood by day labour, for the support of a man who has incurred the wrath of God. I am one of the principal inhabitants of Egypt, and possess untold wealth. Let alone this wretched fellow; take my advice and come with me, that I may marry thee as a true lover, and promote thee to the height of dignity and of an exalted station.’ The spouse of Aiûb never lent an ear to the wicked proposals of Satan, but attended to her own affairs. In the evenings, when she returned to Aiûb, she narrated all these conversations, whereon her husband said: ‘God forbid that thou shouldst go astray, because that wretch is Eblis; thou must not be deceived by his words, which are full of fraud and seduction.’ The stratagems of Satan having been unsuccessful, he fell upon the trick of doctoring, and met Rahmat on the road to examine her on the origin and continuance of her husband’s disease, and said: ‘As the sickness is so long, there is no doubt that the eating of pork and the drinking of wine will remedy it.’²⁶⁰ The wife of Aiûb, who actually believed that by these means her husband might regain his health, accordingly purchased that day from her earnings some wine and hog’s flesh, brought the two articles to Aiûb, and narrated to him how she had met a skilful physician who had given her this advice. Aiûb, however, who suspected the whole stratagem, blamed her, and said: ‘Have I not, ere this, told thee that he is Eblis the stoned? Knowest thou not that pig’s flesh and the juice of the grape are prohibited to all prophets, and that the transgression of this command is one of the greatest sins? I swear by Allah that I shall give thee a sound beating when I get well, to punish thee for this act!’

It is recorded in the history of Hâfez Abrû, that one day the wife of Aiûb went in search of food, but was refused at all the houses where she asked, and returned disappointed. Satan, however, met her on the road in the shape of a woman with short hair, and said to her: ‘Give me both thy side-locks and I shall do thee a favour, in consequence whereof thou wilt be enabled to provide for the wants of Aiûb.’ Necessity having forced the poor woman to comply, she received a little money for her ringlets, and purchased some food for her husband. Eblis, however, had preceded her, and said to Aiûb: ‘Thy wife has been taken in an improper act, and both her curls have been cut off.’ Hearing this, Aiûb swore an oath that after his recovery from this malady he would strike his wife one hundred blows with a stick.

It is related that the unfortunate Rahmat, though greatly distressed at the crime imputed to her by Satan, and by the oath of her husband also, nevertheless continued to serve and to comfort him. Aiûb was also in the highest degree patient under his trials and never ceased to worship God, so that the dwellers in the regions of purity, as well as the inhabitants of this nether world, were equally awed by his long-suffering:

Verses:

Do not look for rest in the fields of time, Do not ask for comfort in this world. Thy pains appear, and will be relieved; Thy patience is thy surety; ask not for remedies.

When the accursed Eblis perceived this state of affairs, he became still more inflamed with envy and hatred. He knew not how to effect his purpose, therefore he assumed an extraordinary shape, and said to the inhabitants of that region: ‘Be it known unto you that I am one of the angels dwelling in the fourth heaven. Listen to me, I shall inform you of an important matter: Aiûb had formerly been a prophet of Allah, and one who approached the mansion of grandeur; the Almighty’s wrath, however, became incensed against him, and his name was expunged from the volume of inspired messengers. Do you, therefore, expel him from this country, lest you also incur the displeasure of God.’ After Eblis had rehearsed tales like this, he disappeared; Rahmat reported them to Aiûb, who forgot his malady and trouble, but turned in the height of his agony to the Qiblah of prayer, and cried unto his Lord, saying: ‘Verily evil hath afflicted me, but Thou art the most merciful of those who show mercy.’²⁶¹

Historians have broached various opinions about the oath of Aiûb, and his promise to strike Rahmat one hundred blows with a stick, and have discussed them at length in their books.

When the disease had left Aiûb and he had recovered his health, Jebrâil the faithful descended, and first conversed about the machinations which the accursed one had planned; then he congratulated Aiûb on the health of his body and safety of his circumstances, took hold of his hand, pulling him out of his place, and said: ‘Strike the earth with thy foot.’²⁶² Aiûb accordingly moved his right foot, and every worm that was on his body fell down, whereon under his foot a spring of water bubbled forth, in which he performed his ablutions by order of Jebrâil, in consequence whereof all the external signs of his malady disappeared from his body, which was restored to its former state of health. Then, by the advice of Jebrâil, he moved his left foot, and a fountain of cold water issued beneath it, of which he drank a little. This removed all his internal complaints and changed them into health. Jebrâil had also brought a carpet from paradise, spread it out, and both took seats thereon. Rahmat, who had gone out to purchase victuals, now returned, and not perceiving Aiûb in the arbour, she lamented and wept; then she approached Jebrâil and Aiûb, saying: ‘Do you know what has become of the sick man who was in this arbour?’ Jebrâil replied: ‘If thou seest him thou wilt know him.’ At these words Aiûb began to laugh, and Rahmat recognised him. After that he tied together one hundred tender sticks,²⁶³ and struck his wife once with them, whereby he fulfilled the oath he had made. Then he returned to his own habitation, where the Omnipotent inscrutable one again bestowed on him all his horses, cattle, sheep, and possessions in as great abundance as formerly. Some allege that the Lord and Reviver again resuscitated his children to life, others say that He presented him with new children. It is related that when Aiûb returned to his habitation, golden locusts rained, by order of the Creator of heaven and earth, upon his house; one of these, however, fell near the margin of the roof, and well-nigh upon the public road, therefore Aiûb took it and set it up. Some persons were astonished and perplexed by this fact; his lordship, however, knew by his sagacity that this was a blessing of God, the more of which are granted the better it is. Qotada has related in the Ma’aruf that the dwelling of Aiûb was in the country of Syria, between Damascus and Ramlah, in a place called Mithnah. It was a cultivated region, and the fountain that bubbled forth under his august feet exists to this day; the sick and decrepit travel to it from all directions, and return from it cured to their habitations. During Aiûb’s mission only three persons were converted by him; the remainder persisted in walking on the wrong path of error and infidelity, and even the said three individuals were at last staggered by the heaviness of his trials, and kept aloof from his society. When Aiûb recovered from his sickness, he was sent to the inhabitants of Rûm, where he accordingly went. When he had reached the term of his life and was near death, he installed Hûmal, who was the most intelligent of his children, to be his executor and successor, and ordered him to perform the funeral ceremonies.

PERSONAL DESCRIPTION OF AIÛB, HIS QUALITIES, LAW, MIRACLES, DURATION OF HIS TRIALS, OF HIS LIFE, AND OF HIS MISSION.

He was tall, had black eyes, curly hair, a short neck, and a big head. He had heavy arms and legs, and his complexion was brownish.

He was just, pious, compassionate to the poor, to orphans and to widows, hospitable to strangers, and equally thankful to God in health and in sickness, in prosperity and in affliction.

His law was like that of Ebrahim; he worked numerous miracles, one of which was that he transmuted all the wine in a company of voluptuaries into pure water.

According to the tradition of Ka’b-ullâkhbâr his trials lasted seven, and according to that of Wuhub three, but according to Anûs Bin Mâlik ten years. It is related that for seven years he remained on a dunghill, where nobody took notice of him, until at last his spouse Rahmat constructed an arbour, from the wages of her daily labour, and transferred him to it.

Some assert that his blessed life lasted ninety-three years, others only ninety; whereas the author of the ‘E’qd-ul-joâhir’ gives him two hundred and the ‘Muntahab-ul-ma’arif’ four hundred years.

His mission lasted twenty-seven years; this assertion is, however, contradictory to the tradition, according to which he is said, after his deliverance from his afflictions, to have lived yet seventy years, during which time he was engaged in calling the people to the religion of Ebrahim, and the Most High says with reference to him: ‘Verily we found him a patient person; how excellent a servant [was he].’²⁶⁴

RECORD OF THE LORD SHOA’IB [JETHRO], THE TEACHER OF
THE PROPHETS.²⁶⁵

It is related, according to Ebn A’bbâs, that the Almighty sent the [burning wind] Simûm from hell to destroy those rebels, whose dwellings it warmed like hot baths, and whose fountains it caused to boil. It is said that when they had reached the open country the flesh had peeled off their feet from the heat of the soil. On that occasion a cloud made its appearance, under the shadow of which these people took refuge, but as soon as they were all assembled, fire rained from the cloud, and reduced the poor as well as the nobles of that nation to ashes. A company of infirm persons, who had remained in the city, were conveyed into the flames of the infernal regions, when they heard the shout of Jebrâil, and the world became purified from the mire of their idolatry, as well as from the filth of their wickedness. Shoa’ib, however, and his adherents came forth in safety from the calamity, which overtook those wicked persons. ‘Wherefore, when our decree came [to be executed], we delivered Shoa’ib, and those who believed with him, through our mercy.’²⁶⁸

It is related that the number of those who followed Shoa’ib amounted to one thousand and seventy individuals. After this unbelieving nation had perished, the divine mandate reached Shoa’ib to remain in Madian, and to occupy himself, in concert with those who believed, in converting the inhabitants of that country, which his lordship did, until Mûsa, the son of E’mrân—u. w. b., etc.—arrived,²⁶⁹ from whom he was separated after a union of seven years and four months, and hastened to the mansions of the next world. Some allege that after separating from Mûsa, he went to the country of Mekkah, and that he dwelt there until he had performed the journey through this world and was received into the next.

DESCRIPTION OF HIS BLESSED PERSON; HIS QUALITIES, NAME, AND TITLE; HIS MIRACLES, THE DURATION OF HIS LIFE, MISSION, AND [THE LOCALITY OF] HIS AUGUST TOMB.

He had a fair complexion, was of middling stature, and towards the end of his life his eyes became so weak that he could not see. He was very eloquent, and of fluent speech; he had no equal in dialectics and disputation, and was also famous for his knowledge and ready wit. His name is Shoa’ib in Arabic, and Barût in Syriac; his blessed title was ‘The Teacher of Prophets.’

He worked numerous miracles, one of which was that whilst preaching to the people he once changed several stones of that country into pure brass. His law was conformable to the religion of Ebrahim, the friend [of Allah].

He was two hundred years old when his powerful soul was removed from the rule and government of life; the duration of his mission amounted to fifty years. Some assert that he was buried in Syria; others, however, assert that more probably he was interred in the holy sanctuary between the Rokam and the Muqâm.²⁷⁰

RECORD OF THOSE WHO DWELT AT RASS.²⁷¹

RECORD OF HARÛN [AARON] AND THE LORD MÛSA [MOSES] WHO SPOKE WITH ALLAH,²⁷³ TO WHOM BE GREETING AND SALUTATION.

The lord Mûsa and his brother Harûn were two of the greatest prophets, and of those near to the mansion of the Lord God the Most High and Magnificent: their high dignity is beyond all explanation, and surpasses the powers of any attempts at elucidation.

The narrative about the Fara’anites of Egypt, after the decease of Yusuf the veracious, and the circumstances of the appearance of the two above - named exalted individuals, is, according to the traditions of chroniclers, as follows: When Riân, the son of Valeed, departed from this world to the next, one of the sons of his uncles, Qabûs by name, ascended the throne of royalty, and took his seat with unlimited powers upon the couch of dominion. He revived the customs of infidelity and error that had been suppressed during the government of Riân, and all the Egyptians adopted them again. When this king perceived that the children of Ya’qûb were loath to accept this blamable religion, and were unwilling to tread upon this bare road, he reduced all the children of Esrâil to slavery, telling them that they had been the servants and bondsmen of his relatives, and that they were bound to worship what his family worshipped. He considered the decease of Yusuf and of his brethren, which was [only] a necessary sequence of the limited nature of human life, as a good opportunity to increase their burdens, and to impose upon them tasks beyond their strength, so that the lives of the sons of Esrâil became during the reign of Qabûs unfortunate and miserable; and when he departed from this perishable and deceitful abode to that of wailing and perdition, his brother the Fara’ûn [who reigned during the time] of Mûsa, surnamed Valeed Bin Masa’b, governed Egypt. At this time the white cocks, the cessation of whose crowing Yusuf had predicted, became mute. When the sons of Esrâil perceived this sign, they submitted with resigned hearts to the prolongation of the times of misery, became certain of the increase of affliction, resolved to remain patient, and tried to console each other. This Fara’ûn was entirely void of the splendour of divine aid,²⁷⁴ and much more tyrannical than the preceding Fara’ûns. After he had imposed heavy tasks upon the sons of Esrâil, he compelled even their women and decrepit persons to pay tribute. During the first five years of his reign he forced the people to worship idols and to adore statues. When he saw that his authority had become paramount in all directions, he convoked an assembly, in which he raised the cry: ‘I am Lord Most High!’ He then invited the people of Egypt to abandon the worship of idols and statues, and to adore his own person. He congregated all the descendants of Ya’qûb and said to them: ‘Worship me, and I shall deliver you from all your troubles; but if you refuse and are proud, I shall afflict you with more grievous punishments than ever.’ The children of Esrâil rejected his proposal, and did not trangress the law of their fathers and ancestors. Therefore Fara’ûn employed their strong men to bring stones from the mountains, to do heavy work, to trade, and the like. The weak he compelled to work as day-labourers, and everyone was bound to deliver the wages of his day’s work at sunset into the treasury; and the unfortunate labourer who failed to do so after the sun had set, had his hand fettered to his neck during one month. All the thoughts of that accursed tyrant were constantly engaged in planning new stratagems how to injure the children of Esrâil. During these times he dreamt one night that a fire was arriving from the direction of Syria, and that it consumed the fortified places, castles, houses, and the country of the Egyptians, leaving no traces whatever of either towns or villages. Fara’ûn quaked at the thought of the realization of his dream, awoke, and called for interpreters and soothsayers, to whom he related it; whereon they replied: ‘The interpretation is, that an individual of the sons of Esrâil will be [divinely] sent, and will receive plenary powers to extirpate the Qabats.²⁷⁵ He will make strenuous efforts to subvert and destroy the fortress of the reigning dynasty.’ Fara’ûn therefore appointed midwives over all pregnant women, and ordered them to slay every male infant²⁷⁶ who might protrude his head from the window of the invisible world. In that way innumerable children were murdered:

Distich:

A hundred thousand children got their heads cut off Until he who spoke with God became a seer.

When five years had elapsed in this manner, the plague broke out among the children of Esrâil, which carried off infinite multitudes of people. Then the Qabat inhabitants waited upon Fara’ûn to complain, that as the men of the sons of Esrâil were dying of pestilence, and their children were being killed, that nation would soon become extirpated, and all the hard and difficult work would again fall upon the Qabats. These reasons were considered valid by Fara’ûn, but in the height of his folly he ordered the children to be [alternately] killed one year, and to be spared one year. Harûn was born during a year of respite, and Mûsa—u. w. b., etc.—saw the light of the world in a year when the infants were killed.

It is said the astrologers and soothsayers had informed Fara’ûn that the promised child would come forth from the town of Eskanderia. He asked them how the event might be obviated, and they replied: ‘The men of the town must be separated from the women, because we have learnt that during this night the [seed productive of the] infant will be fixed in the mother’s womb.’ Therefore, Fara’ûn caused heralds to proclaim the following order: ‘All ye children of Esrâil must leave the city and go to the desert; for the king has pardoned your crimes, and intends to bestow upon you royal favours.’ The children of Esrâil, pleased with this news, issued from the town with their young and old people. Fara’ûn himself, however, determined to proceed that night to Eskanderia, and to have connection with his spouse, Asia, the daughter of Murâhum, who was of the children of Esrâil; hoping that in this manner the blessed child of propitious advent might possibly be the offspring of his own loins. With this idea in his head, taking E’mrân the father of Mûsa, who was one of his courtiers, along with him to Eskanderia, he alighted at the castle, but left E’mrân at the gate. When the night had set in, the women approached in their promenade the gate of the castle of Fara’ûn, and the mother of Mûsa happened to be among them. On that occasion E’mrân was overpowered by lust, retained his spouse, had connection with her that night, and she became pregnant with Mûsa.

Ebn A’bbâs says that not a prophet issues from the loins of his father, without his star making its appearance in the sky. After the mother of Mûsa had become pregnant, the astrologers discovered the star of his lordship the speaker [with Allah], whereon they raised a shout in the plain in which the children of Esrâil had taken up their position, and sent its reverberations to the zenith of the heavens. When Fara’ûn heard it he became terrified, went to the castle-gate and inquired of E’mrân the cause of it, asking him what noise it was? E’mrân replied: ‘I think the children of Esrâil are so pleased with your kindness and favours, that they are shouting in the exuberance of their joy.’ Fara’ûn now returned to his palace, but could not sleep the whole night, on account of the fear which had taken possession of him.

It is related that when the mother of Mûsa had become pregnant with that blessed child, there was a midwife appointed over each enceinte woman, except over the mother of Mûsa, who escaped this surveillance because her interesting condition had not been discovered. When Mûsa was born, his mother summoned a carpenter to make a box, and to his inquiry for the reason she replied: ‘I have had a child which died, and now I want a coffin for it.’ The carpenter, who entertained suspicions, went to the slayers of the infants to make inquiries, but by [the decree of] fate his tongue refused to obey, so that he was unable to utter a single word, and despite the signs he made to these men, they were unable to understand what he wanted; accordingly they insulted and drove him away. The carpenter imagined that probably this child might be the prophet who was [predestinated] to exterminate the Qabats, whereon the casket of his heart became illuminated by the light of monotheism and of religion, so that he made a coffin, and delivered it to the mother of Mûsa. She first suckled the child, placed collyrium upon his eyes, filled the box with cotton, smeared it with liquid pitch, put Mûsa into it, and placed it in the river Nile.²⁷⁷

The arrangers of the gems of narratives have threaded the words of pearls as follows: ‘Fara’ûn had a daughter who was afflicted with the disease of leprosy, but the assembly of physicians informed him that this complaint would be removed by the saliva of a living being of human shape, which would make its appearance in the river Nile, during the reign of Fara’ûn. The latter then spread on the banks of the Nile the surface of pomp and grandeur, and erected the dome of a palace, rising to the utmost height, like the sun and moon. When the mother of Mûsa had thrown that sea of grace into the river Nile, the element of water carried the box, by the mandate of the Beneficent Sovereign, among the trees that were near the mansion of Fara’ûn. When the female attendants of Fara’ûn’s daughter, who were waiting for the fulfilment of the promise made by the soothsayers, beheld that coffin, they were filled with astonishment, and carried it to the spouse of Fara’ûn. Asia then opened the top thereof, and perceived a light shining from it, and discovered a lovely babe sucking its own thumb. The daughter of Fara’ûn then rubbed some of the saliva of his blessed mouth on the leprous spot, and was cured of her malady. She named the infant Mûsa, because in the Hebrew language this word means water and trees [sic]. The Lord and changer of hearts inspired the mother and the daughter with love for Mûsa; they brought the box to Fara’ûn, in whose heart the tree of affection struck root, and emitted copious branches on his beholding the countenance of Mûsa. When the grandees of the realm heard what had happened, they said to Fara’ûn: “This is the very child which will become the cause of the destruction of thy reign; his extermination ought not to be delayed, in order that the kingdom may be preserved from perdition.” The spouse of Fara’ûn, however, manifested a desire that the infant’s life be spared, saying: “[This child] is a delight of the eye to me and to thee; kill him not, peradventure it may happen that he will be serviceable unto us, or we may adopt him for our own son.”²⁷⁸ Fara’ûn accordingly spared the life of the boy, and presented him to his foster-sister. Then Asia appointed nurses to suckle Mûsa, but he refused to take the nipple of any of them into his mouth, until he was at last given in charge of his own mother,²⁷⁹ whose milk he immediately began to suck with great delight. Therefore Asia hired the mother of Mûsa for the stipend and emoluments usual in such cases, ordering her to make her appearance once every week at the castle, with that plant from the rose-grove of love.’

Some assert that Mûsa was not separated from his mother more than one day and one night. It is said that after the expiration of one year, Asia conveyed Mûsa to the presence of Fara’ûn, who took him into his arms and caressed him, whereon his lordship suddenly stretched out his hand and took hold of the moustache of Fara’ûn—which act is considered extremely uncivil—pulled it with such force that he extracted a few hairs, and chuckled most joyfully. Fara’ûn became enraged at this [boldness], and ordered Mûsa to be punished; but Asia, who was one of the most intelligent women in the world, said: ‘O king, the acts of little ones have no weight in the scales of understanding; infants cannot be subjected to the requirements of good manners, or to chastisement for transgressing them; [nevertheless] according to my opinion the child ought to be tried, and to be punished if found guilty, or else excused.’ Therefore one plate full of rubies was produced, and another filled with burning coals, for the purpose of examining Mûsa. Both the dishes having been placed before him, he was about to touch the rubies; Jebrâil, however, impeded him, and turned his hand towards the coals, one of which the child took up and placed in his mouth, so that a blister appeared on his blessed tongue. Some historians have related that Mûsa pronounced [in this trial] every letter of the alphabet, excepting only the letter Sin,²⁸⁰ and that for this reason Fara’ûn remitted his punishment, but commanded his nurse not to bring him any more. His mother obeyed this order, and retained him till his noble age amounted to fourteen years. Then Asia took charge of him, and appointed four hundred slaves, with gold-embroidered dresses, crowns set in jewels, silver necklaces and golden belts, for the service of Mûsa, and for attending upon him whenever he went out. On account of this great pomp, all the inhabitants considered him to be the son of Fara’ûn. When he attained the age of thirty, Asia gave him in marriage to a noble Qabat lady, with whom he begat two children. On the occasion of the nuptials, as well as at the birth of the children, the usages customary with sovereigns were performed, and most of the people gave themselves up to great rejoicings and pleasures. By the help and efforts of Asia, Mûsa was day by day more confirmed on the throne of nobility and dignity, until the time of his separation from the company of Fara’ûn approached, and they were severed from each other.