Page:Muhammad Diyab al-Itlidi - Historical Tales and Anecdotes of the Time of the Early Khalîfahs - Alice Frere - 1873.djvu/279

 250 Then Abu-ʾl-ʾAbbâs, es Saffâh, remarked, "I do not think that et-Tamîmy agrees to thy words." And he asked him, "What dost thou say, O Khâlid?"

Khálid replied, "If thou givest me permission to speak, I will speak."

Said es-Saffâh, "I give thee permission. Speak therefore, and fear no man."

Then said Khâlid, "He is in error, O Commander of the Faithful! who enters into an argument without knowledge, and into a discussion without reflection. For how could it be as he states when of a truth the people have not even eloquent tongues nor a correct dialect? And there is no good proof that the Book was sent down in their language, nor that the Sunnah were given in it. And their country is a two days' journey from our country: if they stray away from where we have authority, they are eaten; and if they leave our kingdom, they are murdered. They have vaunted themselves above us on account of the Nuʾamanites, and the Mundhirites, and other things which I shall soon mention; but we glorify ourselves above them on account of the best of men, the noblest