The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-08-27
80 HANIFA -

By Edgar j. Banks
Copyright, by shortstory Pub. Coz

FTiday found the Immam Abdullah |
squatted cross-legged upon the plat
form of the mosque. Before him, on a !
little stand, lay the open Koran upon
which his eyes were fixed, while his |
chubby forefinger was eneTgetically |
gesticulating to the group of excited
women about him. From the express
sion upon his face, and the sharp in
terruptioDs from his audience, it
seemed that at last, in mis- old age, |
after a life filed with the thousand |
theological battles, and crowned with |
thousand victories, he had met his
Marathon, for the longer he argued
the louder grew the expostulations of
the women.
The Prophet-peace be upon him"
repeated Abdullah for the tenth time
that day, and with an expression Of in
creasing despair, received from Para
disc a message that man might have
four wives. You, ladies of Mecca, de-
mand that If a man has four wives, a
woman may have four husbands. Had
that been Allahs will be would long
ago have revealed It,.
But Allah did not say that we
should not have four husbands" cried
the women. 20 great Abdullah," they
continued, Allah has revealed many
things through the Prophet, and we
are obedient to all his laws; other
things are yet to be revealed. There
fore, learn for us Allah's will. Pray
that he may reveal to you, you who
remember the Prophet, you who were
among those to welcome him back to
Mecca, you through whom Allah has
already revealed so many things, if
woman may not have four husbands as
man has four wives"
Il will ask Allah to reveal his WILL"
he sighed. Next Friday will impart
it to you"
Abdullah's past history had been an
interesting one. He was small, bare
footed boy when the prophet Moham-
med returned to Mecca, and now of
all the people left in the Holy City,
he alone had seen him. Inspired by
that rare privilege, he marked out for
himself the career of a holy man.
When his chin was first fuzzy with the
down which evolved into the largest
of patriarchal boards, he wandered as
a dervish, but to suffer from hunger
and thirst, and to lacerate his own
body, soon ceased to be pleasures, and
finally he settled down as an immam
in the Holy City to gain an easier live
lihood by fleeing the visiting pill
grims. In his profession he prospered.
He alone was intrusted with the keys
of the Kaaba, and so great was his
reputed piety that he was consulted in
every religious controversy. All his
decisions were law, and now he was
passing his last days recording for the
benefit of posterity his theological
views.
During his long life Adullah had
seen but one sorrow-his wives had
died one after another, yet that was
not the cause of his grief, for never
for long did he lack his full quota of
wives which, both living and dead, he
could count to a score. The one thorn
in his flesh was that this score or more
of wives had presented him with but a
single offspring, daughter whom he
had named Hanifa. This solitary plant
of the harem grew and blossomed into
a dark, slender, large-eyed Arab maid,
sending out her tendrils of love until
they entwined about the old man. s
heart, as if to compensate him for his
lack of sons She was the only child
of 20 passing wives.
"Baba," tenderly said Hanifa, as her
father, leaving the crowd of angry
women in the mosque, had returned
home and squatted before the dish
of piEaf, which he left untasted, "are
you ill?"
mo, child" replied Abdullah, with
an audible sigh, yet, without paying
his customary visit to the harem, he
retired.
The next morning when Abdullah
appeared, his eyes were sunken, for
he had passed sleepless night Dur
ing the dark hours his audience of
clamoring women was ever before
him, and although he had thousand
times successfully interpreted the
IL
his wits had deserted him, and no
revelation came; his reputation as an
immam would be ruined and all the
wisdom displayed in the past would
be in vain.
Thus tortured, he slept none and ate
little. Half dozen times daily Hanifa
urged him to impart to her the cause
of his sorrows, and as often did he
deny that he was afflicted, yet before
the week was half ended, Abdullah
had become so feeble that he even
neglected the book which was IT, per.
petuate his name; he remained in the
corner, silent and thoughtful.
"Baba," said Hanifa, again stroking
his old bald head, tell me your
troubles-perhaps can help you"
Il have none, child" was the holy
mans prevaricating reply. deep
groan followed.
Hanifa was too solicitous of the old
mans health to be silent. Long she
stood over him, stroking his head, yet
finally when the abundance of sighs
and groans seemed to be we'll nigh
exhausted, he explained in a feeble
voice how the women of Mecca had
demanded special, impossible revela.
ton. Concluding his explanation in
utter despair, he covered his face with
his hands and wept
Hanifa laughed. Poor Baba," she
said, still stroking his bald head
your troubles are slight"
Abdullah raised his tear-filled eyes
reproachfully.