Thus we entered the church which is called the Church of the Resurrection: and the Patriarch said, This is the Mosque of David. Whereupon Omar considered attentively, and said to him, Thou hast spoken falsely; for the Apostle of God (upon whom be the blessing and peace of God!) described to me the Mosque of David—a description which answers not to this. Then he proceeded with him to the church called Sion, and said, This is the Mosque of David. Upon this Omar said, Thou hast spoken falsely. So he went on with him to the Mosques of the Holy City until he came, at last, near unto a gate called the Gate of Muhammad; and he drew down all the filth (dung) that was on the declivity of the steps of the gate, until he came to a narrow passage; and he went down a number of steps, until he almost hung upon the top of the interior or upper surface. Then said the Patriarch to him, Thou canst go no farther, except creeping on hands and knees. Then said Omar, And I will go, even creeping on hands and knees. So Omar went upon his hands, and we went upon hands and knees after him, until we came to the central sewer. And we stood here upright. Then Omar looked and contemplated a long time. Then he said, By Him in

whose hand is my life, this is that which the Apostle of God (upon whom be the peace and blessing of God!) described to us.

Moreover, there is an account in the traditionary history in another chapter, by Hishám-Ibn-Omar, from Al-Haitem-Ibn-Omar, that Al-Abbás said, I heard my grandfather, Abd-Ullah-Ibn-Abí-AlidUllah, say, When Omar-Ibn-Al-Khattáb possessed the government, he visited the people of Syria. Then he took up his abode in Al Jabít, and sent two men of the noblest of his faith to the Holy City. Then he obtained an entrance thereunto by capitulation. Afterwards Omar-Ibn-Al-Khattáb (with whom may God be satisfied!) arrived with Kaab; to whom Omar said, O Abú Ishák ! make me to know the place of the Sakhrá (the Rock). Then he said, Measure out one cubit on each side of the wall which is nearest to the Valley of Hinnom; then dig, and thou shalt find it. Thus said. he. And that place was at that time a public cess-pool. Then he dug, and the Sakhra became manifest. Omar therefore said to Al Kaab, Where thinkest thou that we should place the Mosque? the lofty palms of the Kiblah? Then he said, Place it behind the Sakhrá, and then join together the two Kiblahs—the Kiblah of Moses and the Kiblah of Muhammad (upon whom be the blessing and peace of God!). Upon

this Omar said to him, Thou wouldst imitate the Jewish (mode), O Abú Ishák! (but) the Mosque is best in front of it;-and he built the Mosque in front.

It is moreover traditionally reported, in 'The Collection of Histories upon extraneous authority,' (accounts believed to be true, but of which the authors are not verified), in other supplementary chapters to ancient traditions, by Ibrahim-Ibn-Abú-AblahAl-Mukaddísí, upon the authority of his father, as follows:-Omar-Ibn-Al-Khattáb (with whom may God be content!) came to the Holy City, and encamped upon the Mount of Olives. Then he descended the declivity, and entered the Mosque by the Gate of the Prophet (upon whom be the mercy and peace of God!). So, when he had stood upright awhile therein, he gazed to the right and left. Then he said, By Him who is the only God! this, this is the Mosque of Solomon son of David, respecting which the Apostle of God (upon whom be the peace and mercy of God!) has informed us, that he was carried thither by night. Then came Omar to the Mosque (or oratory), and said, We will place a Mosque (a place of worship) for the Moslems here-a place of prayer, wherein they may pray. Again, we learn from Saad-Ibn-Abdul-Aziz,-When Ibn-AlKhattáb (with whom may God rest satisfied!) took

possession of the Holy City, he found fault with the quantity of dung which the Greeks had thrown there, in insult towards the sons of Israël. Wherefore Omar (with whom may God be content!) stretched out his mantle, and began to sweep up this dung; and the Musalmáns began to sweep with him. We are also informed by Al Walid, that Saad-Ibn-Abdul-Azíz said, A letter (an epistle) of the Prophet of God (upon whom be the mercy and peace of God!) came to Al Kais; and this it is "In the Baitu-l-Mukaddas, and upon the Sakhrá of the Baitu-l-Mukaddas, there shall be a great sewer, whereby the Tower of David (on whom be salutation!) is spoiled by the injurious abuse of the lying Christians, in order to hurt the Jews, until those changing times shall come that the cities be stirred up to wrest the precinct from Greece. Then shall the Sakhrá be met with. Therefore said Al Kais, when he read this epistle of the Prophet of God (upon whom be the mercy and compassion of God!), For ye, O people of Greece! a time is coming, when ye shall be slain upon this sewer, upon the place wherein ye have violated the sanctity of this Mosque, just as the sons of Israel slew John the son of Zacharias." Then he commanded it to be cleared; and they began so to do. Then the Moslems came to Syria, and they did not

clear it more than a third part. But when OmarIbn-Al-Khattáb came to the Holy City, and obtained possession of it, and saw the great quantity of dung thereon, he commanded it to be cleared, and pressed into that service the Nabathæi of Palestine.

Again, we have it from Kais-Ibn-Nair, When Omar had cleansed the dung from the Sakhrá, he said, Ye shall not pray therein until three showers of rain have fallen upon it. Moreover Al Walid said, Shadád told me, from his father, That Omar went to the Holy City when it was nearly sunset; and his garments were soiled with the dung, and we were soiled with him in our garments. And he went, and we went with him, as far as the two fountains which are in the valley called the Valley of Hinnom. Then he returned, and we returned likewise, that we might pray in the place of the Mosque wherein the congregation pray. Then Omar prayed, and we prayed with him. And a tradition from Abú-Marian-MuwallíIslám, who was also (an inhabitant) of the Holy City, informs us as follows:-I was present with Omar when he entered the Holy City. He went on until he entered the Mosque. Then he went in front of the Tower of David, and prayed therein. Then he read a Surát (of the Korán), and • worshipped; and we worshipped with him. Yet,