We were once afflicted with drought at Bassorah and went forth sundry times to pray for rain, but saw no sign of our prayers being accepted. So I went, I and 'Itaa al-Salamí and Sábit al-Banáni and Naja al-Bakáa and Mohammed bin Wási'a and Ayyub al-Sukhtiyáni and Habíb al-Farsi and Hassán bin Abi Sinán and 'Otbah al-Ghulám and Sálih al-Muzani, till we reached the oratory, when the boys came out of the schools and we prayed for rain, but saw no sign of acceptance. So about mid day the people went away and I and Sabit al-Banani tarried in the place of prayer till nightfall, when we saw a black of comely face, slender of shank and big of belly, approach us, clad in a pair of woollen drawers; if all he wore had been priced, it would not have fetched a couple of dirhams. He brought water and made the minor ablution, then, going up to the prayer niche, prayed two inclinations deftly, his standing and bowing and prostration being exactly similar in both. Then he raised his glance heavenwards, and said, 'O my God and my Lord and Master, how long will You reject Your servants in that which offers no hurt to Your sovereignty? Is that which is with You wasted or are the treasuries of Your Kingdom annihilated? I conjure You, by Your love to me immediately to pour out upon us Your rain clouds of grace!' He spoke and hardly had he made an end of speaking, when the heavens clouded over and there came a rain, as if the mouths of waterskins had been opened; and when we left the oratory, we were knee deep in water,"—

When it was the Four Hundred and Sixty eighth night

; and I, 'Your saying to Allah, 'By Your love of me;' and what gives you to know that He loves you?' he replied, 'Away from me, O you distracted by the world from the care of yours own soul. Where was I, when He gave me strength to profess the unity of the Godhead and vouchsafed unto me the knowledge of Him? How think you that He aided me thus except of His love to me?' adding, 'truly, His love to me is after the measure of my love to Him.' I, said, 'Tarry awhile with me, so may Allah have mercy on you!' But he said,

The Pious Black Slave. 263

'I am a chattel and the Book enjoins me to obey my lesser master.' So we followed him afar off, till we saw him enter the house of a slave broker. Now the first half of the night was past and the last half was longsome upon us, so we went away; but next morning, we repaired to the slave dealer and said to him, 'Have you a lad to sell us for service?' He answered, 'Yes, I have an hundred lads or so and they are all for sale.' Then he showed us slave after slave; till he had shown us some seventy; but my friend was not amongst them, and the dealer said, 'These are all I have.' But, as we were going out from him we saw a ruinous hut behind his house and going in behold, we found the black standing there. I cried, ' 'Tis he, by the Lord of the Ka'abah!' and turning to the dealer, said to him, 'Sell me that slave.' he replied, 'O Abu Yahya, this is a pestilent unprofitable fellow, who has no concern by night but weeping and by day but repentance.' I rejoined, 'It is for that I want him.'

So the dealer called him, and he came out, showing drowsiness. his master, said, 'Take him at yours own price, so you hold me free of all his faults.' I bought him for twenty dinars and asked, 'What is his name?' and the dealer answered, 'Maymún, the monkey;' and I took him by the hand and went out with him, intending to go home; but he turned to me and said, 'O my lesser lord, why and Why did you buy me? By God, I am not fit for the service of God's creatures!' Replied I, 'I bought you that I might serve you myself; and on my head be it.' he asked, 'Why so?' and I answered, Were you not in company with us yesterday in the place of prayer?' He said, 'And did you hear me?'; and I, said, 'It was I accosted you yesterday and spoke with you.' Thereupon he advanced till we came to a mosque, where he entered and prayed a two bow prayer; after which he said, 'O my God and my Lord and Master, the secret that was between me and You You have discovered unto Your creatures and have brought me to shame before the worldling. How then shall life be sweet to me, now that other than You has happened upon that which is between You and me? I conjure You to take my soul to You directly.'

So saying, he prostrated himself, and I awaited awhile without seeing him raise his head; so I shook him and behold, he was indeed dead, the mercy of Almighty Allah be upon him! I laid him out stretching his arms and legs and looked at him, and lo! he was smiling. Moreover, whiteness had got the better of blackness on his brow, and his face was radiant with light like a young moon. As we wondered at his case, the door opened and a young man came in to us and said, 'Peace be with you! May Allah make great our reward and yours for our brother Maymun! Here is his shroud: wrap him in it.' So saying, he gave us two robes, never had we seen the like of them, and we shrouded him within it. And now his tomb is a place where men resort to pray for rain and ask their requirements of Allah (be He extolled and exalted!); and how excellently well says the poet on this theme,

'The heart of Gnostic homed in heavenly Garth Heaven decks, and Allah's porters aid afford. Lo! here they drink old wine commingled with Tasním the wine of union with the Lord. Safe is the secret 'twixt the Friend and them; Safe from all hearts but from that Heart adored.' "

And they recount another anecdote of