will: for God is giving them food and drink.' The Ulemas explain this latter expression to mean, that the nature of the sick has to cook and eject the noxious substances, and to gain strength thereby. That prince also recommended abstinence to the sick, and beverage prepared with unsifted barley-flour and honey, resembling milk in substance and appearance. He also said, 'Cheer up the sick with pleasant words, and free their minds from grief and sadness.' He forbade the use of unlawful things as remedies, saying, 'God will not cure you by what He has made unlawful unto you.' When once some one had asked that prince for permission to make wine, but had been refused, he rejoined, 'But, O Apostle of God, I want to make the wine as a medicine.' To this rejoinder his Excellency replied, 'It is not a receipt, but a deceit.'

He forbade intercourse with those who had an infectious disease, such as lepers. Abu Horeira narrates that his Excellency said, 'Flee from a leper as ye flee from a lion;' and again, 'Speak with a leper in such a manner that there be the distance of one or two javelins between you.' In the later traditions it is creditably affirmed that that prince opposed infection, saying, 'There is no infection: one man's illness does not reach another man.' We explain this difference thus: He who is of a strong faith suffers no harm from contact with infectious disease, because the power of faith repels the power of infection; but he who is of a weak faith must avoid contact: on these accounts that prince was charged by God with both these lines of conduct, i.e. he both came in contact with lepers, and also ordained to keep aloof from them, so that the strong in faith might follow him in the way of trust, and the weak in faith in the path of self-preservation. The traditions concerning plague and pestilence are also of this nature.

That prince has authorised the use of charms against the evil-eye. It is recorded that once whilst Sehl Ibn Hanif was bathing, Amir Ibn Rabia, seeing him naked, was so struck with the beauty of his body, that he exclaimed, 'By Allah! I have never seen so beautiful a body, neither among men, nor among the veiled girls.' As Amir was saying this, Sehl dropped down unconscious. When this report was brought to that prince, he became angry with Amir, saying, 'Why

dost thou not rather offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to God in seeing another's beautiful body, instead of killing him?' He ordered Amir forthwith to take a full ablution and to pour the water of it over Sehl; and lo, that same hour Sehl's consciousness returned. It is likewise recorded that when that Excellency observed in the face of a slave-girl in Om Salma's room the appearance of a spirit, he said, 'Make incantations for that slave-girl, for in her face are the marks of the appearance of a spirit.' It is also reported that when, on one occasion, that Excellency performed his prayers in a place and was stung by a scorpion, he, after having finished his prayers, said, 'God's curse be upon the scorpions for not leaving alone God's prophet and others,' i.e. for stinging them. Then he applied a poultice of salt and bread, and repeated some verses from the Koran till the pain ceased. It is established by sound traditions that that prince made incantation with the first Sura, the verse of the Throne, and a number of other Koranic verses, and that he used sundry other enchanting formulas, on which we cannot enlarge in this book.

It is to be observed that a number of sound Traditionists have declared that there is no connection between the cures performed by that prince and those performed by other doctors; for his were absolute cures, really effecting restoration and health, inasmuch as he acted by Divine revelation and inspiration; but the cures of others are mostly based on conjecture, opinion, and trial. Whoever is not benefited by the prophetic remedy, must know for certain that the cause of this is his want of faith; and whoever applies it in sincere dependence and pure faith, will surely be benefited by it. Just as the noble Koran is a remedy for the hearts and minds, but whosoever does not receive it with gladness and sincerity, to him it only causes an aggravation of his spiritual maladies. It is admitted that any medicine benefits the patient only on the condition of his receiving it with faith, so that nature may meet and assist it in expelling the distemper. Thus a number of distinguished men have used honey for all diseases, because in the glorious Koran , it is written concerning the virtue of honey, 'In it there is healing for men;' and by the blessing of their faith those diseases were removed.