Page:Muhammad Diyab al-Itlidi - Historical Tales and Anecdotes of the Time of the Early Khalîfahs - Alice Frere - 1873.djvu/172

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ANOTHER PITIFUL TALE OF LOVE.

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So I, Abk-Allâh, said, "I am."

Then the old man continued, "I require for her a thousand bracelets of red gold, and five thousand dirhems of the best stamped silver money, and a hundred garments of striped and damasked stuffs, and five skins of ambergris."

I said, "You shall have it. But what was her answer?"

He replied, "Yes, assuredly." On hearing which, I sent off men of the el-Ansâry to el-Medînah-el-Munáwwarah,^[1] and they brought the whole of what had been promised. Then they killed of the flocks and

↑ Medînah means in the abstract, city or town. But when the inhabitants of Yathreb received Muhammad, and acknowledged his mission, they changed this name to el-Medînah—the city par excellence. It has, however, many affixes—such as, Medînah-en-Náby, the City of the Prophet; el-Medînah-el-Munáwwarah, the Enlightened or Illuminated City. This latter title is said by Muslims to have been given for the following reason: above the chamber in which are the tombs of the Prophet and his successors, Abu-Bekr and ʾOmar, is a green dome, surmounted by a gilt crescent springing from a series of globes. They believe (according to Mr. Burton) that a pillar of heavenly light crowns this crescent, and can be seen by the pilgrims at three days' distance. My sheikh, however, who at my request made inquiries upon this subject amongst those most lately arrived from el-Medînah, brought back word that the light resembles the morning star, and can be seen from afar, but not at the distance of three days' journey.

[1] Medînah means in the abstract, city or town. But when the inhabitants of Yathreb received Muhammad, and acknowledged his mission, they changed this name to el-Medînah—the city par excellence. It has, however, many affixes—such as, Medînah-en-Náby, the City of the Prophet; el-Medînah-el-Munáwwarah, the Enlightened or Illuminated City. This latter title is said by Muslims to have been given for the following reason: above the chamber in which are the tombs of the Prophet and his successors, Abu-Bekr and ʾOmar, is a green dome, surmounted by a gilt crescent springing from a series of globes. They believe (according to Mr. Burton) that a pillar of heavenly light crowns this crescent, and can be seen by the pilgrims at three days' distance. My sheikh, however, who at my request made inquiries upon this subject amongst those most lately arrived from el-Medînah, brought back word that the light resembles the morning star, and can be seen from afar, but not at the distance of three days' journey.

[1]