Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/155

Charles Martel and Pippin 119 And the people of the right hand what people of good omen ! Amid thornless lote-trees, And bananas laden with fruit, And shade outspread, And water flowing, And fruit abundant, Never failing, nor forbidden, . . . But the people of the left hand what people of ill omen ! Amid burning wind and scalding water, And a shade of black smoke, Not cool or grateful ! Verily before that they were prosperous ; But they persisted in the most grievous sin, And used to say, " When we have died, and become dust and bones, shall we indeed be raised again, And our fathers, the men of yore," Say : Verily those of yore and of the latter days Shall surely be gathered to the trysting-place of a day which is known. Then ye, O ye who err and call it a lie, Shall surely eat of the tree of Zakkum, And fill your bellies with it, And drink upon it scalding water, Drink like the thirsty camel : This shall be their entertainment on the Day of Judgment ! We came out with the prophet, with a part of the army, and a man passed by a cavern in which was water and ver- dure, and he said in his heart, " I shall stay here, and retire from the world." Then he asked the prophet's permission to live in the cavern ; but he said, " Verily I have not been sent on the Jewish religion, nor the Christian, to quit the delights of society ; but I have been sent on the religion inclining to truth, and that which is easy, wherein is no diffi- culty or austerity, I swear by God, in whose hand is my life, that marching about morning and evening to fight for religion Fighting for the faith better than prayers. (From the traditional sayings of Mohammed not included in the Koran.)