Tales From 1,001 Nights by Robert Irwin (ed)

Author:Robert Irwin (ed) [Irwin, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141965871
Google: hYS9YSlnkUEC
Publisher: Penguin UK
Published: 2010-08-17T04:00:00+00:00

Abu Muhammad the Sluggard

While Harun al-Rashid was seated one day on his royal throne a young eunuch came into his presence carrying a crown of red gold set with pearls and gems, sapphires and other precious stones, beyond all price. He kissed the ground before the caliph and said: ‘Commander of the Faithful, the Lady Zubaida kisses the ground before you and says that you know she has had this crown made, but it needs to be topped with a great gem. She has searched through her treasures but has not found anything large enough there to suit her purpose.’ Harun told his chamberlains and deputies to look for a jewel that would do, but they failed to find anything suitable. This angered Harun, who said: ‘I am the caliph, king of the kings of the earth, but I cannot find one jewel. How can this be?’ He told the men to ask the merchants, and when they did, the merchants said: ‘Our master the caliph will only find this jewel in the possession of a man in Basra called Abu Muhammad the sluggard.’

When the caliph was told this, he ordered his vizier, Ja‘far, to send a message to the emir Muhammad al-Zubaidi, the governor of Basra, telling him to make arrangements to have this man sent to the caliph. Ja‘far wrote a note to this effect and gave it to Masrur, who set off with it to Basra. The emir Muhammad was delighted by his arrival and treated him with the greatest respect, after which Masrur read him the caliph’s note. He obediently despatched Masrur with an escort of his servants to Abu Muhammad. When they had come to his house and had knocked on the door, a servant came out and Masrur told him to tell his master that he was wanted by the Commander of the Faithful. After the servant had gone in and told him that, Abu Muhammad came out to find Masrur, the chamberlain of the caliph, accompanied by the servants of Muhammad al-Zubaidi. He kissed the ground before Masrur and said: ‘To hear the commands of the Commander of the Faithful is to obey them.’

He invited the visitors into his house and they said: ‘This can only be a quick visit if we are to follow the caliph’s instructions, as he is waiting for you to come.’ ‘Then wait a short time for me to get ready,’ said Abu Muhammad. After he had done his best to persuade them, they went in with him and in the entrance hall they found hangings of blue brocade embroidered with red gold. Abu Muhammad told a number of his servants to take Masrur to the bath in his house, and when they did this Masrur discovered remarkable walls and marble slabs adorned with gold and silver, while the water was mixed with rosewater. A crowd of servants surrounded him and his companions, attending to all their needs, and when they left the bath, they were dressed in robes of brocade embroidered with gold.

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