SELECTIONS
FROM
MUḤAMMADAN TRADITIONS
I
THE BOOK OF FAITH
It is related from ʿOmar binuʾ-l-Khuṭṭáb that, 'On a certain day when we were near the Prophet, there appeared before us a man dressed in white apparel. His hair was extremely black, and no marks of travel could be seen upon him, and none of us recognized him. At length he sat down beside the Prophet. Then he placed his two knees near the Prophet's knees, and placed the palms of his hands on his thighs and said, "O Muḥammad, teach me about Islám." He replied, "Islám is that thou bear witness that there is no God but Alláh, and that Muḥammad is the Apostle of Alláh, and that thou observe prayer, and that thou give alms, and that thou keep the fast in the month Ramadán, and that thou make the pilgrimage to the House (i.e., the temple at Mecca), if thou art able to provide for the journey." He said, "Thou hast spoken truly." At that we wondered at his questioning the Prophet and telling him he had spoken truly. Then he said, "Teach me about faith." The Prophet replied, " It is that thou believe in God and His angels and His books and His apostles and in the last day, and that thou believe in predestination, both of good and evil." He said, "Thou hast spoken truly." Then he said, "Teach me concerning the best action." He replied, "It is that thou worship God as if thou didst see Him ; for if thou dost not see Him, yet He sees thee." The man said, "Teach me concerning the hour of resurrection." He replied, "Concerning this matter the questioned is no wiser than the questioner." He said, " Teach me concerning its signs." He replied, " It is that a female slave will give birth to her master, and that thou wilt see the barefooted and the naked and the indigent and
