repeat the prayer whereby forgiveness is attained, at the Mosque Al Aksá, and by the heap of sand. He afterwards went as a soldier to Armenia, and subsequently, with two friends, went to the tent-inhabiting tribes. There he died. He had at that time a wallet and a cup. Then the two men said, We will go and dig a sepulchre for him; for we have beheld in his wallet certain garments which are not of this world. So the two men came and said, We have made a sepulchre deeply hewn in a rock, which our hands fell in with in a minute. So they coffined him, and buried him ; and when they looked back, they saw nothing. He died in the year 37. Kaab-Al-Habbár (i. e. the Scribe) a Jew, who embraced Islámism in the Khilafat of Abú-Bekr, or Omar. Al Abbás once said unto him, What induced you to embrace Islamism at the injunction of Omar? So he said, My father wrote several books of the Law for me, and gave them to me, and said, Be diligent in observing this. He also sealed several books, and bound me by my duty to my parents never to break the seal. When, however, I saw the religion of Islám, my heart became purified and enlightened. I said then within myself, Perhaps thy father wished to remove knowledge far from thee, and to conceal it, lest I should read it. Therefore I broke the seal, and found the full de

scription and account of Muhammad and his people. Upon this, I immediately embraced Islamism. Kaab dwelt in Syria and was very learned. He was once telling stories (i. e. traditions), it is said, in Syria, when a man said unto him, O Kaab! I heard the Apostle of God say, "No one shall tell traditions but the governor, or he who is commanded so to do, or he to whom the option so to do is granted." Kaab hereupon went to Moawiyah and obtained his permission. He died at Emessa, in the year 32. AmínIbn-Suaid was appointed by Omar to be governor above Othmán. Othmán had himself been governor of Syria, and Ibn-Suaid also obtained this province. Othmán greatly exalted him, and named him Al Moáwiyah (the roaring-lion cub). Also Ibn-Shadid-Ibn-Awwis. He is said to have been present at the capture of the Holy City, and to have visited it, for the sake of prayer, subsequently. He was a native of Emessa, and converted in the Khilafat of Abú-Bekr. On his authority we have the following saying:-"Five properties and dispositions are ugly and unbecoming:-Passion in a king, Cupidity among the learned, Moroseness among old men, Avarice in the rich, and Excess of Modesty in deserving people." AbúNaim was the first Muezzin of the Holy Abode. When Abadat-Ibn-Al-Samut was governor of Elia,

he delayed, one day, for some time, before he came forth to morning prayer; Abú-Naím therefore led the devotions of the people. Abadat, coming out afterwards, prayed with the others, after AbúNaím. Also Abú-Jafar he says, I once entered the Mosque of the Holy City with Abadat, and saw a man praying there, who had placed his slippers on his right hand and on his left. Then said Abadat, If thou wert not now engaged in secret converse with thy Lord, I would have cleft thy head with this stick. Do thou as the people of the Book do. Also Khálid-Ibn-Moad, who prayed every morning forty thousand morning prayers. These are, he said, many in the Holy City; but if a man go six miles off, truly there they will not amount to five effectual prayers.

Also the Khalif Abdul-Málik-Ibn-Marwán, who built the Chapel of the Baitu-l-Mukaddas. It has been reported that the Prophet said, Whoso doth not make a hostile siege, or attack, and doth not prepare and arrange a siege or attack, or who doth not follow up those good actions by good conduct, God shall make him a comrade with supreme misery. Ibn-Omar also remarked, Men have sons, but Marwán had a father born to him; viz. Abdul-Málik. Ibn-Marwán-Amrú-Ibn-Abás remarks, Marwán displayed a beautiful and cheerful mien to those whom he met. He spoke

pleasingly when he conversed. He listened gracefully when others spoke. He was modest in his personal arrangements when he was opposed. He never sported with any who distrusted his good faith; nor did he ever frighten them; and he never spoke any thing which required apology. Abdul-Málik-Ibn-Marwán died at Damascus, in the year 86. The Khalif Abdul Azíz is also said to have visited the Holy City when Khalid was there; to whom he said, O Khalid, what have you for us? This, from God, replied Khalid :-"God's ear hears, though thou see him not." Then the Khalíf trembled and shook, and drew back his hand (for he had taken Khalid by the hand). Then said Khálid, Hereafter thou shalt be a just Imám. Khálid kept

his house at the latter part of his

life, and said,

Nothing is now to be found among men but envy, and ill-will, and unlucky faces. He died in the year 90. Abdul Aziz died in the year 101. It is said that there were five just Khalífs :-AbúBekr, Omar, Othmán, Alí, and Abdul Aziz (God's mercy be with them!). Also a Kádí, Ibrahim-Ibn-Abel-Ablah, a saint of great acumen. He asserted that he once prayed with the Prophet before the two Kiblahs. He asserted, moreover, that the Prophet said, upon occasion of some cavilling about the necessary existence of Hell,

"If

66

ye give unto a slave his liberty, God shall, for each of his limbs, give to each of your limbs freedom from the bondage of Hell. This saint died in the year 52. (God be merciful unto him!) Also Muhammad-Ibn-Wása, of Basra. He became governor of the Holy City. Of him is told the celebrated story relating to the prayer which he offered up (in deprecation) every day :"O God! since the Evil One hath obtained the mastery over us, beholding acutely our faults, and hovering over the recesses of our hearts, that he may see them; therefore, O God! make him to despair of us, as he despairs of thy mercy! Make him to be hopeless of us, as he is hopeless of thy benefits! Set him as far from us as he is far from thy Paradise!" It is said that Iblis appeared unto him, and said, O Ibn Wása! what is the prayer which thou prayest every day? Repeat it unto me. So he recited it. Then said Iblís, I charge thee never to make known this supplication which thou hast just offered. Upon which Ibn Wása replied, I tell thee, God enjoins me never to conceal it from the people of God whilst I am in life. He departed (God's mercy be with him!) in the year 117. Also Al-Walid-Ibn-AbdulMálik-Ibn-Marwán, who built the Mosque of Damascus, and the Mosque of Egypt, and repaired the Baitu-l-Mukaddas. May God (says an his