Page:Muhammad Diyab al-Itlidi - Historical Tales and Anecdotes of the Time of the Early Khalîfahs - Alice Frere - 1873.djvu/136

Rh shaped like the side of a travelling bag; and he wrote thereon, 'In the name of God the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. *Verily an admonition from your Lord has been brought unto you. Be faithful in measure and in weight, and deprive no man of his due, and sow not the seeds of wickedness upon the earth. Obedience to God will bring its reward to you if ye be true believers, but I am not your keeper.* When thou hast read this my epistle thou shalt hold what is in thine hand until one shall appear who will take over charge from thee. Farewell.'—So I took the letter from him, and brought it to the governor, and he obeyed and acted according to what was written therein."

Then said Muʾâwiyah to his scribes, "Write, ordering the restoration of her goods, and compensation for what she has suffered." And when she asked, "Will that be for myself alone, or for me and my people?" he replied, "Certainly for thee alone."

"Then," she exclaimed, "if justice is not for every one, and if I am not to be like the rest of my people, by Allâh! it is an abomination and a disgrace!"

Then said Muʾâwiyah, "Write for her what she wants, both for herself and for her people."