Page:The Perfumed Garden - Burton - 1886.djvu/34

18 was done by Ouhcha, one of his disciples. God only knows whether it was Ouhcha. He himself says on this point, "I have killed in my ignorance the best of men, Haman ben Abd el Mosaleb, and then I killed the worst of men, Mocailama. I hope that God will pardon one of these actions in consideration of the other."

The meaning of these words, "I have killed the best of men" is, that Ouhcha, before having yet known the prophet, had killed Hamza (to whom God be good), and having afterwards embraced Islamism, he killed Mocailama.

As regards Chedja et Temimia, she repented by God's grace, and took to the Islamitic faith; she married one of the Prophet's followers (God be good to her husband).

Thus finishes the story.

The man who deserves favours is in the eyes of women, the one who is anxious to please them. He must be of good presence, excel in beauty those around him, be of good shape and well-formed proportions; true and sincere in his speech with women; he must likewise be generous and brave, not vainglorious, and pleasant in conversation. A slave to his promise, he must always keep his word, ever speak the truth, and do what he has said.