They name us Al-A’ráb but Al-’Urb is our name.
I would remind the reader that the Dinár is the golden denarius (or solidus) of Eastern Rome while the Dirham is the silver denarius, whence denier, danaro, dínheiro, etc., etc. The oldest dinars date from A. H. 91–92 (= 714–15) and we find the following description of one struck in A. H. 96 by Al-Walid the VI. Ommiade:—
Obverse.│Area. “There is no iláh but Allah: He is one: He hath no │ partner.”
│Circle. “Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah who hath sent him │ with the true Guidance and Religion that he │ manifest it above all other Creeds.”
Reverse.│Area. “Allah is one: Allah is Eternal: He begetteth not, nor is │ He begot.”
│Circle. “Bismillah: This Dinar was struck anno 96.”
See “’Ilâm-en-Nas” (warnings for Folk) a pleasant little volume by Mr. Godfrey Clarke (London, King and Co., 1873), mostly consisting of the minor tales from The Nights, especially this group between Nights ccxlvii. and cdlxi.; but rendered valuable by the annotations of my old friend, the late Frederick Ayrton.
The reader will note the persistency with which the duty of universal benevolence is preached.
Arab. from Pers. “Shah-bandar”: see vol. iv. 29.
_i.e._ of thy coming, a popular compliment.
This is the doctrine of the universal East; and it is true concerning wives and widows, not girls when innocent or rather ignorant. According to Western ideas Kamar al-Zaman was a young scoundrel of the darkest dye whose only excuse were his age, his inexperience and his passions.
Arab. “Dayyús” prop. = a man who pimps for his own wife and in this sense constantly occurring in conversation.
This is taking the law into one’s own hands with a witness; yet amongst races who preserve the Pundonor in full and pristine force, _e.g._ the Afghans and the Persian Iliyát, the killing so far from being considered murder or even justifiable homicide would be highly commended by public opinion.
Arab. “Nákisátu ’aklin wa dín”; the words are attributed to the Prophet whom we find saying, “Verily in your wives and children ye have an enemy, wherefore beware of them” (Koran lxiv. 14); compare 1 Cor. vii. 28, 32. But Maître Jehan de Meung went farther,
Toutes êtez, serez ou fûtes, De faict ou de volonté, putes.