going alone on a journey, saying, 'If people knew what it is to travel alone on the roads at night, no one would enter any road alone at night.' ¹ The women he wholly prohibited from travelling, except under the protection of a man or near relative. He also declared that the good angels do not accompany those who have a dog with them, or a bell, which, he said, belongs to the devil's music. On warlike expeditions and journeys he would sometimes leave his companions to bring on the weak and others, lagging behind, whom he might even take on his own beast and pray with them.

He began and concluded a journey by uttering pious ejaculations. As he was coming back, his friends would go out to meet him, taking their children and wives with them. When returning from a journey, he never entered the city at night and also forbade his friends from doing so. He would have a camel or a bullock slain, to regale those who came to welcome him back. On his return, he first entered the mosque and said two genuflexions of prayers. To travellers he would say, 'Start at night; for to those who do so the road is shortened.' He also advised, 'It is proper that no less than three companions should set out together, so that they may appoint one of their number for a commander.' If any one came to bid him farewell before starting on a journey, he would say, 'I commend to God thy religion and the result of thy labours;' or sometimes also, 'May God increase thy piety, pardon thy sins, and prosper thee wherever thou turnest!'

(4.) His Habits in the Intercourse with his pure Wives.

Be it known that his apostolic Excellency was the best amongst the people, as regards the beauty of intercourse and kindness of companionship with his wives. That prince was exceedingly demonstrative of affection towards his wives; and when they came to solicit a command from him, and there was no obstacle in the way, he granted their

request liberally. It is firmly established that sometimes, when Aisha the faithful drank water from her cup, that Excellency would take the cup out of her hand, and drink exactly from that place from which she had been drinking, and when she was eating meat from a bone, he would take the bone out of her hand and would put his blessed mouth exactly on the spot where Aisha had put hers, in order to eat the meat. When it was with Aisha as it is with women, that prince would lay his blessed head upon her bosom, or lean over her and read the Koran to her. Amongst other things, the Prophet once raced with Aisha the faithful, and in the first race she outstripped him, but in the second, after she had become corpulent, he passed her, and then said to her, 'This is for that,' i.e. this triumph makes up for my former defeat. At another time they pulled each other about till they came outside the door of Aisha's chamber.

Aisha also narrates: 'When once there had been words between that prince and myself, he said to me, "O Aisha, whom wishest thou me to bring as umpire to judge between us? wishest thou for Abu Obeid Ibn Jarrah?" I answered, "No, he is not of a tender nature, and leans towards thee." Then he asked, "Wilt thou be satisfied with Omar?" I replied: "No, I am not, for I am afraid of Omar." His Excellency rejoined, "Even Satan is afraid of Omar;" and then asked again, "Wouldest thou accept Abu Bekr?" On my answering in the affirmative, he sent for my father, Abu Bekr, and said to him, "O Abu Bekr, judge thou between me and this one, and decide our affair." Then, on his Excellency opening his mouth to state his case, I called out, "O Apostle of God, be just!" As soon as my father heard this word, he raised his hand and gave me such a slap in the face that blood streamed down from both my nostrils, and he said, "Thou shalt have no mother: who will be just, if the Prophet is not?" His Excellency rejoined, "O Abu Bekr, we did not wish for more from thee than to judge between us." Then that prince rose up, and with his own blessed hand washed the blood off my face and clothes.'

It is recorded that when Aisha became angry, that prince would lay his blessed hand upon her shoulder, and say, 'May God forgive her sins, subdue the wrath of her