Harun Al-Rashid And The Two Slave-Girls

The Caliph Harun al-Rashid lay one night between two slave-girls, one from Al-Medinah and the other from Cufa and the Cufite rubbed his hands, whilst the Medinite rubbed his feet and made his concern[FN#115] stand up. Quoth the Cufite, "I see thou wouldst keep the whole of the stock-in-trade to thyself; give me my share of it." And the other answered, "I have been told by Málik, on the authority of Hishám ibn Orwah,[FN#116] who had it of his (grand) father, that the Prophet said, Whoso quickeneth the dead, the dead belongeth to him and is his.' But the Cufite took her unawares and, pushing her away, seized it all in her own hand and said, "Al-A'amash telleth us, on the authority of Khaysamah, who had it of Abdallah bin Mas'ud, that the Prophet declared, Game belongeth to him who taketh it, not to him who raiseth it.'" And this is also related of

Footnotes:

[FN#115] The word used is "bizá'at" = capital or a share in a mercantile business.

[FN#116] This and the following names are those of noted traditionists of the eighth century, who derive back to Abdallah bin Mas'úd, a "Companion of the Apostle." The text shows the recognised formula of ascription for quoting a "Hadís" = saying of Mohammed; and sometimes it has to pass through half a dozen mouths.