Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/167



THE PRIOR WHO BECAME A MOSLEM.

Quoth Abu Bakr Mohammed ibn Al-Anbári [FN#204]: "I once left Anbár on a journey to 'Amúríyah, [FN#205] where there came out to me the prior of the monastery and superior of the monkery, Abd al-Masíh hight, and brought me into the building. There I found forty religious, who entertained me that night with fair guest rite, and I left them after seeing among them such diligence in adoration and devotion as I never beheld the like of in any others. Next day I farewelled them and fared forth and, after doing my business at 'Amuriyah, I returned to my home at Anbar. And next year I made pilgrimage to Meccah and as I was circumambulating the Holy House I saw Abd al-Masih the monk also compassing the Ka'abah, and with him five of his fellows, the shavelings. Now when I was sure that it was indeed he, I accosted him, saying, 'Art thou not Abd al-Masih, the Religious?' and he replied, 'Nay, I am Abdallah, the Desirous.' [FN#206] Therewith I fell to kissing his grey hairs and shedding tears; then, taking him by the hand, I led him aside into a corner of the Temple and said to him, 'Tell me the cause of thy conversion to al-Islam;' and he made reply, 'Verily, 'twas a wonder of wonders, and befell thus. A company of Moslem devotees came to the village wherein is our convent, and sent a youth to buy them food. He saw, in the market, a Christian damsel selling bread, who was of the fairest of women; and he was struck at first sight with such love of her, that his senses failed him and he fell on his face in a fainting fit. When he revived, he returned to his companions and told them what had befallen him, saying, 'Go ye about your business; I may not go with you.' They chided him and exhorted him, but he paid no heed to them; so they left him whilst he entered the village and