The second Caliph continued - "My name is Muhammad Alee, son of Alee the Jeweler. My father was one of the notable men of Bagadaad. When he died he left me a lots of different jewels plus gardens, orchards, land etc. One day when I was sitting in my shop with my assistants, a young lady came to my shop, sat beside me and asked me - "Are you Muhammad the Jeweler?" I said - "Yes, I am your slave." She asked - "Do you have any necklace for me?" I said - "I show you what I have and if you like anything it will be your slave's good luck." I had about a 100 necklaces and I showed her all of them, but she did not like any one of them and said - "I want a better one than these."

I had a small necklace which my father bought for 100,000 Deenaar, and it was one of its kind, so I said to her - "O Lady, I have one more, a very rare type of necklace, none possess like that, I will show it you, if you care about." I showed that necklace to her, and she liked it instantly. She asked its price. I said - "My father bought it for 100,000 Deenaar, I will give it you for 5,000 Deenaar as my profit." She said - "You should have your profit, I am still most grateful to you." She immediately rose and rode on her mule and asked me to send my man with her to take the money.

So I closed my shop and accompanied her, in all security, I came to her house which looked like a wealthy person's house. That lady asked me to wait at the gate and she herself went inside the house. After a while a girl came and asked me to come in as it was dishonor to sit at the door. Then another girl came and said to me - "My mistress says that you sit down at the door of the salon to receive your money." I went in the salon and sat down there. Immediately a curtain of silk was drawn aside and a golden throne appeared there. That lady was sitting on that throne. She wore a necklace which looked pale by the side of a face which was round like a Moon.

Seeing her like this my mind confounded, she rose from her throne and came close to me and said - "Is every handsome person like you pitiless for his mistress?" I said - "You are too beautiful." She said - "O Jeweler, Know that I love you, that is why I have brought you here." Then she leaned over me and I kissed her and she kissed me. She thought that I would love to enjoy her. She said - "Will you take me unlawfully? By Allaah, May he not live who would do this type of sin. I am a maiden, still I am not unknown in the city. Do you know who I am?" I said - "No, My Lady." "I am the Lady Dunyaa, the daughter of Yaahyaa bin Khaalid the Barmecide and the sister of Zaafar, the Vazeer of the Caliph."

Hearing this I moved back saying, "It is no fault of mine if I have been so bold with you. It was you who encouraged me by bringing me here." She said - "No harm will fall upon you. The Qaazee will witness our marriage for it is my will that I should be yours, and you should be mine." She sent for the Qaazee and the witnesses and when they came she said to them - "Muhammad Alee, bin Alee the Jeweler seeks me for marriage and has given me the necklace for my marriage settlement and I accept and consent." So they wrote the contract, I went in with her, we ate and drank to our satisfaction. Then a girl came and started singing. After this she took me to a bedroom where there was a very luxurious bed. We spent that night together there. 

I stayed there for one month, forsaking the shop, family and home. One day she said to me - "I am going to take bath, so you sit here and do not rise till I come here." She has not left very long that an old woman came in and said to me - "O Muhammad, The Lady Zubaidaa asks you to come to her, because she had heard a lot about your fine manners and singing." I said - "I cannot move from here until the Lady Dunyaa comes back." She said - "Do not make her angry and make your enemy. Come and talk to her, then come back here."

So I rose and went to the Lady Zubaidaa. As she saw me, she said - "Are you the beloved of Lady Dunyaa?" "I replied - "I am your servant." She asked me to sing. She brought me a lute and I sang to her. When my song was finished, she said - "May Allaah bless your body and voice, but now you go back to the Lady Dunyaa so that she is not angry." I kissed the ground before her and came back to Dunyaa's place. There I saw Dunyaa sleeping so I sat down at her feet and rubbed them. She woke up and kicked me so hard that I fell off the couch.

She said - "You broke your promise and went to the Lady Zubaidaa. By Allaah, I fear a public scandal now." Then she said to her black slave - "O Sabaab, Strike off this traitor's head, for we have no further need of him." She took out a whip from her skirt, tied a cloth strip on my eyes and struck off my head. She said to her - "He is not the first who erred. He did not know your humor and that is why he does not deserve death." She said - "I must set my marks on him." She beat me on my ribs, and the marks you saw are the same.

Then they cast me out far from her house. After a time I rose and dragging myself a little by little came to my own house. I called a surgeon who cured me of his best. As soon as I was all right, I sold my shop and the materials therein. With the proceeds, I bought 400 white slaves, such as no King has ever got and cause 200 to ride with me every day. I arranged for a barge for 5,000 gold pieces and styled myself like a Caliph. I made a proclamation that whosoever will go to Tigris for recreation by night, I will strike off his head. Since then one whole year has passed and I have not heard of that lady again."

When Haaroon al-Rasheed heard his story of passion and love, he was moved to compassion and wonder and said - "Glory be to Allaah who has created an effect for every cause. Then they took leave of him and came back to their palace. The Caliph said to Zaafar - "Bring me that young man with whom we met last night." He went to that young man and told the order of the Caliph.

The second Caliph was in a great surprise at this summon. He went there, kissed the ground before him and offered a prayer for his endurance and prosperity. The Caliph smiled in his face, asked him to come close to him and made him sit near him. He spoke - "O Muhammad Alee, I wish that you tell me what happened to you last night?" The youth said - "Pardon, Give me the immunity for my fear." "I promise you immunity for your fear and miseries."

Then the young man told him the whole story whatever happened last night. The Caliph asked him - "Do you want that I should bring that lady back to you?" "This will be a generous gift from you, Sir." Then he asked his Vazeer Zaafar to bring his sister. He brought her there. When she had come, the Caliph asked her - "Do you know him, who he is?" She said - "How can a woman have the knowledge of men?" The Caliph smiled and said - "He is your beloved, Muhammad bin Alee the Jeweler. We know about his case from the beginning till end. There is no secret now." She said - "I think this was written in Destiny. I beg for your forgiveness for my wrong doing."

The Caliph laughed, summoned the Qaazee, and married them with utmost felicity. He made Muhammad Alee his boon-companion.

End of Story No 50