The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, vol 4 | Page 6

the dwellings of the just in the world to come." Then Naomi
brought her food and said to her, "Eat of my bread and pray Heaven to
accept my penitence and to have mercy on me." But she cried, "O my
lady, I am fasting. As for thee, thou art but a girl and it befitteth thee to
eat and drink and make merry; Allah be indulgent to thee!; for the
Almighty saith: All shall be punished except him who shall repent and
believe and shall work a righteous work."[FN#8] So Naomi continued
sitting with the old woman in talk and presently said to Ni'amah, "O my
lord, conjure this ancient dame to sojourn with us awhile, for piety and
devotion are imprinted on her countenance." Quoth he, "Set apart for
her a chamber where she may say her prayers; and suffer no one to go
in to her: peradventure, Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) shall
prosper us by the blessing of her presence and never separate us." So
the old woman passed her night in praying and reciting the Koran; and
when Allah caused the morn to dawn, she went in to Ni'amah and
Naomi and, giving them good morning, said to them, "I pray Allah
have you in His holy keeping!" Quoth Naomi, "Whither away, O my
mother? My lord hath bidden me set apart for thee a chamber, where
thou mayst seclude thee for thy devotions." Replied the old woman,
"Allah give him long life, and continue His favour to you both! But I
would have you charge the doorkeeper not to stay my coming in to you;

and, Inshallah! I will go the round of the Holy Places and pray for you
two at the end of my devotions every day and night." Then she went
out (whilst Naomi wept for parting with her knowing not the cause of
her coming), and returned to Al-Hajjaj who said to her, "As thou do my
bidding soon, thou shalt have of me abundant good." Quoth she, "I ask
of thee a full month;" and quoth he "Take the month." Thereupon the
old hag fell to daily visiting Ni'amah's house and frequented his
slave-wife, Naomi.-- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Thirty-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old hag fell to
visiting daily Ni'amah's house and frequenting his slave wife, Naomi;
and both ceased not to honour her, and she used to go in to them
morning and evening and all in the house respected her till, one day,
being alone with Naomi, she said to her, "O my lady! by Allah, when I
go to the Holy Places, I will pray for thee; and I only wish thou wert
with me, that thou mightest look on the Elders of the Faith who resort
thither, and they should pray for thee, according to thy desire." Naomi
cried, "I conjure thee by Allah take me with thee!"; and she replied,
"Ask leave of thy mother in law, and I will take thee." So Naomi said to
her husband's mother, "O my lady, ask my master to let us go forth, me
and thee, one day with this my old mother, to prayer and worship with
the Fakirs in the Holy Places." Now when Ni'amah came in and sat
down, the old woman went up to him and would have kissed his hand,
but he forbade her; so she invoked blessings[FN#9] on him and left the
house. Next day she came again, in the absence of Ni'amah, and she
addressed Naomi, saying, "We prayed for thee yesterday; but arise now
and divert thyself and return ere thy lord come home." So Naomi said
to her mother-in-law, "I beseech thee, for Allah's sake, give me leave to
go with this pious woman, that I may sight the saints of Allah in the
Holy Places, and return speedily ere my lord come back." Quoth
Ni'amah's mother, "I fear lest thy lord know;" but said the old woman,
"By Allah, I will not let her take seat on the floor; no, she shall look,
standing on her feet, and not tarry." So she took the damsel by guile
and, carrying her to Al-Hajjaj's palace, told him of her coming, after

placing her in a lonely chamber; whereupon he went in to her and,
looking upon her, saw her to be the loveliest of the people of the day,
never had he beheld her like. Now when Naomi caught sight of him she
veiled her face from him; but he left her not till he had called his
Chamberlain, whom he commanded to take fifty horsemen; and he
bade him mount the damsel on a