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Sharif Husayn ibn Rayyan related that one day the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn al-Khattab, was sitting in judgment, settling disputes among the people, with the foremost of his companions, men of sound counsel and discernment, gathered about him. As he sat there, a handsome young man in clean clothes was brought before him by two other handsome youths, who had seized him by the collar and dragged him into the Commander of the Faithful’s presence. Umar looked at the three of them, ordered the two to release their hold, and drew the young man close to him. Then he asked the two youths, “What is your grievance against him?” They replied, “O Commander of the Faithful, we are brothers of the same father and mother, and entitled to seek justice. We had an aged father, a man of sound judgment, honored among the tribes, free of vice and renowned for virtue. He raised us from childhood and bestowed great kindnesses upon us…” But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she fell silent, leaving her tale untold.

When it was the three hundred and ninety-sixth night

She said: I have heard, O fortunate King, that the two youths said to the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn al-Khattab, “Our father was honored among the tribes, free of vice and renowned for virtue. He raised us from childhood and bestowed great kindnesses upon us. His merits were many, and his deeds a source of pride. Well did he deserve the poet’s words:

‘They said, “Abu al-Saqr comes of Shayban.” I replied, “No, by my life! Rather, Shayban comes of him.” How many a father has been raised above men of rank by his son, as Adnan was exalted by the Messenger of God!’ One day he went out to a garden of his to stroll among its trees and gather its ripe fruit. This young man killed him, straying from the path of righteousness. We ask you to exact retribution for his crime and judge him as God has commanded.” Umar turned a stern gaze upon the young man and said, “You have heard what these two youths have said. What answer have you?” Now the young man was stouthearted and bold of speech, having cast off all fear and alarm. He smiled, spoke with great eloquence, and greeted the Commander of the Faithful in gracious words. Then he said, “By God, O Commander of the Faithful, I have understood their charge, and they have spoken truly in recounting what occurred. God’s decree was a destiny ordained. But I shall tell my story before you, and leave its judgment in your hands. Know, O Commander of the Faithful, that I am of pure Arab stock, among the noblest people beneath the sky. I grew up in the dwellings of the desert, but years of bitter drought descended upon my people, so I came to the outskirts of this city with my family, my possessions, and my children. I followed one of its roads, passing among its gardens, with some fine she-camels that were dear to me and highly prized. Among them was a well-bred bull camel, handsome and prolific, through whom their offspring multiplied. He walked among them like a king wearing a crown. Some of the she-camels strayed toward their father’s garden, where the trees overhung the wall, and reached up with their lips to browse upon them. I drove them away from the garden, when suddenly an old man appeared through an opening in the wall, his angry breath seeming to cast out sparks. In his right hand he held a stone, and he advanced with the gait of a lion. He struck the bull camel with that stone and killed him, for the blow landed on a vital spot. When I saw the camel fall beside me, I felt the embers of anger blaze within my heart. I picked up that very stone and struck the old man with it, bringing about his death and his unhappy end. A man may be slain by the very means with which he has slain. As the stone struck him, he gave a great cry and screamed in pain. I hurried away, but these two youths ran after me, seized me, brought me here, and set me before you.”

Umar—may God Most High be pleased with him—said, “You have confessed to what you have done. There is no release for you: retribution is due, and the time for escape is past.” The young man replied, “I hear and obey the judgment of the Imam, and I accept what the law of Islam decrees. But I have a little brother whose father, before his death at an advanced age, set aside for him a great fortune in money and gold. He entrusted the boy’s affairs to me, calling God to witness, and said, ‘This is your brother’s property, left in your keeping. Guard it as carefully as you can.’ I took the wealth from him and buried it, and no one but I knows where it lies. If you order my death now, the fortune will be lost, and you will have been the cause of its loss. The child will demand his due from you on the day when God judges His creatures. But if you grant me three days’ respite, I shall appoint someone to take charge of the boy, then return in fulfillment of my pledge. There is one who will stand surety for my word.” The Commander of the Faithful bowed his head, then looked at those present and asked, “Who will stand surety for him and guarantee his return to this place?” The young man looked around at the faces in the gathering, then singled out Abu Dharr and pointed to him, saying, “This man will stand surety and guarantee me.” But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she fell silent, leaving her tale untold.

When it was the three hundred and ninety-seventh night

She said: I have heard, O fortunate King, that when the young man pointed to Abu Dharr and said, “This man will stand surety and guarantee me,” Umar—may God Most High be pleased with him—asked, “Abu Dharr, have you heard what he says? Will you guarantee that this young man appears before me?” He replied, “Yes, O Commander of the Faithful. I will stand surety for his return in three days.” Umar accepted this and gave the young man leave to depart. When the period of respite had run its course, and the appointed hour was almost past, or had already passed, the young man had not appeared at Umar’s court. The Companions sat around him like stars about the moon. Abu Dharr was there, and the two plaintiffs were waiting. They said, “Where is the accused, Abu Dharr? How can one who has fled be expected to return? We shall not stir from this place until you bring him to us, so that we may exact vengeance.” Abu Dharr replied, “By the All-Knowing King, if the three days pass and the young man does not appear, I shall honor my pledge and surrender myself to the Imam.” Umar—may God be pleased with him—said, “By God, if the young man fails to return, I shall pass upon Abu Dharr the sentence required by the law of Islam.” Tears streamed from the eyes of those present, and deep sighs rose from the onlookers, until the gathering was filled with lamentation. The foremost Companions urged the two youths to accept blood money and earn the praise that would follow, but they refused to accept anything short of vengeance. While the people were milling about and crying out in sorrow for Abu Dharr, the young man appeared. He stood before the Imam and greeted him most courteously, his face radiant and beaded with sweat. “I have entrusted the boy to his maternal uncles,” he said, “told them all they need to know of his affairs, and shown them where his wealth is hidden. Then I braved the scorching midday heat and kept my word as an honorable man should.” The people marveled at his truthfulness and fidelity, and at his courage in coming forward to face death. Some said to him, “What a noble young man you are! How faithfully you keep your pledges!” He replied, “Do you not know that when death comes, no one can escape it? I kept my word so that it might not be said, ‘Faithfulness has vanished from among mankind.’” Then Abu Dharr said, “By God, O Commander of the Faithful, I stood surety for this young man without knowing what people he came from, nor had I ever seen him before that day. But when he passed over all the others present and turned to me, saying, ‘This man will guarantee me and stand surety for me,’ I could not bring myself to refuse him. My sense of honor would not let me disappoint his hope, for there was no wrong in granting his request. I did so that it might not be said, ‘Generosity has vanished from among mankind.’” At this the two youths said, “O Commander of the Faithful, we relinquish our claim against this young man for our father’s blood, for he has turned estrangement into fellowship, so that it may not be said, ‘Kindness has vanished from among mankind.’” The Imam rejoiced at the young man’s pardon, his truthfulness, and his fidelity to his pledge. He esteemed the noble spirit Abu Dharr had shown above all his companions, and admired the two youths’ resolve to act with kindness. He praised them gratefully and quoted the poet’s words:

“Whoever does good among mankind shall be rewarded for it; no good is lost between God and man.” Then he offered to pay them their father’s blood money from the public treasury, but they said, “We pardoned him only to seek the favor of God, the Generous, the Most High. Whoever acts with such an intention does not follow his kindness with reproach or injury.”