Faith?" "That of Al-Islam, and the religion of the Best Of Men."
"Swear to me by Holy Law replete with signs and instances that
thou ownest the creed of the Best of Mankind." So she swore to
him and pronounced the profession of the Faith. Then asked the
Kazi, "How cometh it that thou wastest thy youth with this Jew?"
And she answered, "Know, O Kazi (may Allah prolong thy days in
contentment and bring thee to thy will and thine acts with
benefits seal!), that my father left me, after his death, fifteen
thousand dinars, which he placed in the hands of this Jew, that
he might trade therewith and share his gains with me, the head of
the property[FN#360] being secured by legal acknowledgment. When
my father died, the Jew coveted me and sought me in marriage of
my mother, who said, 'How shall I drive her from her Faith and
cause to become a Jewess? By Allah, I will denounce thee to the
rulers!' He was affrighted at her words and taking the money,
fled to the town of Adan.[FN#361] When we heard where he was, we
came to Adan in search of him, and when we foregathered with him
there, he told us that he was trading in stuffs with the monies
and buying goods upon goods. So we believed him and he ceased not
to cozen us till he cast us into jail and fettered us and
tortured us with exceeding sore torments; and we are strangers in
the land and have no helper save Almighty Allah and our lord the
Kazi." When the judge heard this tale he asked Hubub the nurse,
"Is this indeed thy lady and are ye strangers and is she
unmarried?", and she answered, "Yes." Quoth he, "Marry her to me
and on me be incumbent manumission of my slaves and fasting and
pilgrimage and almsgiving of all my good an I do you not justice
on this dog and punish him for that he hath done!" And quoth she,
"I hear and obey." Then said the Kazi, "Go, hearten thy heart and
that of thy lady; and to-morrow, Inshallah, I will send for this