Pagina 453 de 1116

Now it so fortuned that there was with us an old woman well

stricken in years, a Moslemah who, inwardly believing in Allah

and His Apostle, conformed outwardly with the religion of my

people; and my father placed thorough confidence in her for that

he knew her to be trustworthy and virtuous; and he treated her

with ever increasing kindness believing her to be of his own

belief. So when I was well nigh grown up my father committed me

to her charge saying:-Take him and educate him and teach him the

rules of our faith; let him have the best instructions and cease

not thy fostering care of him. So she took me and taught me the

tenets of Al-Islam with the divine ordinances[FN#320] of the Wuzu

ablution and the five daily prayers and she made me learn the

Koran by rote, often repeating:-Serve none save Allah Almighty!

When I had mastered this much of knowledge she said to me:-O my

son, keep this matter concealed from thy sire and reveal naught

to him lest he slay thee.