Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 2.djvu/66

 46 A If Laylah wa Lay la k. After a while his son took the loads and, bidding farewell to his mother and kindred and townsfolk, went forth with a company of merchants, putting his trust in Allah Almighty, who decreed him safety, so that he arrived without let or stay at Baghdad. There he hired for himself a fair dwelling house which he furnished with carpets and cushions, curtains and hangings ; and therein stored his bales and stabled his mules and camels, after which he abode a while resting. Presently the merchants and notables of Baghdad came and saluted him, after which he took a bundle containing ten pieces of costly stuffs, with the prices written on them, and carried it to the merchants' bazar, where they welcomed and saluted him and showed him all honour ; and, making him dismount from his beast, seated him in the shop of the Syndic of the market, to whom he delivered the package. He opened it and drawing out the pieces of stuff, sold them for him at a profit of two dinars on every dinar of prime cost. At this Ghanim rejoiced and kept selling his silks and stuffs one after another, and ceased not to do on this wise for a full year. On the first day of the follow- ing year he went, as was his wont, to the Exchange which, was in the bazar, but found the gate shut ; and enquiring the reason was told, " One of the merchants is dead and all the others have gone to follow his bier, 1 and why shouldst thou not win the meed of good deeds by walking with them ? " 2 He replied " Yes," and asked for the quarter where the funeral was taking place, and one directed him thereto. So he purified himself by the Wuzu- ablution 3 and repaired with the other merchants to the oratory, where they prayed over the dead, then walked before the bier to the burial-place, and Ghanim, who was a bashful man, followed them being ashamed to leave them. They presently issued from the city, and passed through the tombs until they reached the grave where they found that the deceased's kith and kin had pitched a tent over the tomb and had brought thither lamps and wax- candles. So they buried the body and sat down while the readers read out and recited the Koran over the grave ; and Ghanim sat with them, being overcome with bashfulness and saying to himself " I cannot well go away till they do." They tarried listening to Arab. "Janazah," so called only when carrying a corpse; else Na'ash, San'r or Tabut: Irdn beiag the large hearse on which chiefs are borne. It is made of plank or stick-work ; but there are several varieties (Lane, M. E. chapt. xxviii). It is meritorious to accompany the funeral cortege of a Moslem even for a few paces, Otherwise he could not have joined in the prayers.