The Perfumed Garden of the Shaykh Nefwazi | Page 6

thus together there, and she inhales the perfumes, she will delight in the same, all
her bones will be released in a soft repose, and finally she will be swooning. When you
see her thus far gone, ask her to grant you her favours; she will not hesitate to accord
them. Having once possessed her, you will be freed of the embarrassment caused to you
by her and her goum.'
Mo&cced;ilama exclaimed: 'You have spoken well. As God lives, your advice is good
and well thought out.' And he had everything arranged accordingly.
When he saw that the perfumed vapour was dense enough to impregnate the water in the
tent he sat down upon his throne and sent for the prophetess. On her arrival he gave
orders to admit her into the tent; she entered and remained alone with him. He engaged
her in conversation.
While Mo&cced;ilama spoke to her she lost all her presence of mind, and became
embarrassed and confused.
When he saw her in that state he knew that she desired cohabitation, and he said: 'Come,
rise and let me have possession of you; this place has been prepared for that purpose. If
you like you may lie on your back, or you can place yourself on an fours, or kneel as in
prayer, with your brow touching the ground, and your crupper in the air, forming a tripod.
Whichever position you prefer, speak, and you shall be satisfied.'
The prophetess answered, 'I want it done in all ways. Let the revelation of God descend
upon me, O Prophet of the Almighty.'
He at once precipitated himself upon her, and enjoyed her as he liked. She then said to
him, 'When I am gone from here, ask my goum to give me to you in marriage.'
When she had left the tent and met her disciples, they said to her, 'What is the result of
the conference, O prophetess of God?' and she replied, 'Mo&cced;ilama has shown me
what has been revealed to him, and I found it to be the truth, so obey him.'
Then Mo&cced;ilama asked her in marriage from the goum, which was accorded to him.
When the goum asked about the marriage-dowry of his future wife, he told them, 'I
dispense you from saying the prayer aceur (which is said at three or four o'clock). Ever
from that time the Beni-Temim do not pray at that hour; and when they are asked the
reason, they answer, 'It is on account of our prophetess; she only knows the way to the
truth.' And, in fact, they recognized no other prophet.
On this subject a poet has said:
For us a female prophet has arisen; Her laws we follow; for the rest of mankind The
prophets that appeared were always men.

The death of Mo&cced;ilama was foretold by the prophecy of Abou Beker (to whom God
be good). He was, in fact, killed by Zeid ben Khettab. Other people say it 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, Mo&cced;ailama. 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 Haman (to whom God be good), and having afterwards
embraced Islamism, he killed Mo&cced;ilama.
As regards Chedjâ el 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.
The man who boasts of his relations with women, of their acquaintance and good will to
him, is a dastard. He will be spoken of in the next chapter.
There is a story that once there lived a King named Mamoum, who had a court fool of the
name of Bahloul, who amused the princes and Vizirs.
One day this buffoon appeared before the King, who was amusing himself. The King
bade him to sit down, and then asked him, turning away, 'Way hast thou come, O son of a
bad woman?'
Bahloul answered, 'I