Abu Al-Aswad And His Slave-Girl

Abu al-Aswad bought a native-born slave-girl, who was blind of an eye, and she pleased him; but his people decried her to him; whereat he wondered and, turning the palms of his hands upwards,[FN#114] recited these two couplets,

       &nbsp "They find me fault with her where I default ne'er find, *
       &nbsp       &nbsp Save haply that a speck in either eye may show:
       &nbsp But if her eyes have fault, of fault her form hath none, *
       &nbsp       &nbsp Slim-built above the waist and heavily made below."

And this is also told of



Footnotes:


[FN#114] When reciting the Fátihah (opening Koranic chapter), the hands are held in this position as if to receive a blessing falling from Heaven; after which both palms are passed down the face to distribute it over the eyes and other organs of sense.