of Mu’awiyah), whose father Utbah had been slain by Hamzah.  The amazon insisted upon seeing the corpse:  having presented her necklace and bracelets to Wahshi, she supplied their place with the nose, the ears, and other parts of the dead hero.  After mangling the body in a disgusting manner, she ended by tearing open the stomach and biting the liver, whence she was called “Akkalat al-Akbad.”  When Mohammed saw the state of his father’s brother, he was sadly moved.  Presently comforted by the inspirations brought by Gabriel, he cried, “It is written among the people of the seven Heavens, Hamzah, son of Muttalib, is the Lion of Allah, and the Lion of his Prophet,” and ordered him to be shrouded and prayed over him, beginning, says the Jazb al-Kulub, with seventy repetitions of “Allah Akbar.”  Ali had brought in his shield some water for Mohammed, from a Mahras or stone trough, which stood near the scene of action (M.C. de Perceval translates it “un creux de rocher formant un bassin naturel").  But the Prophet refused to drink it, and washed with it the blood from the face of him “martyred by the side of the Mahras.”  It was of the Moslems slain at Ohod, according to Abu Da’ud, that the Prophet declared that their souls should be carried in the crops of green birds, that they might drink of the waters and taste the fruits of Paradise, and nestle beneath the golden lamps that hang from the celestial ceiling.  He also forbade, on this occasion, the still popular practice of mutilating an enemy’s corpse. [FN#29] The Prophet preferred women and young boys to pray privately, and in some parts of Al-Islam they are not allowed to join a congregation.  At Al-Madinah, however, it is no longer, as in Burckhardt’s time, “thought very indecorous in women to enter the Mosque.” [FN#30] I have heard of a Persian being beaten to death, because instead of saying “Peace be with thee, Ya Omar,” he insisted upon saying “Peace be with thee, Ya Humar (O ass!)” A favourite trick is to change “Razi Allahu anhu-may Allah be satisfied with him!"-to “Razi Allahu Aan.”  This last word is not to be found in Richardson, but any “Luti” from Shiraz or Isfahan can make it intelligible to the curious linguist.

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