IV. C5. VII. OF THE SUDAN 159

I In the name of God . . .

II And now I will give the pedigree of the Shukria. They are among the most exalted of the Arabs by race, for the Prophet. . .said "God chose Kenana from among the Arabs. . .etc. to the end." Therefore Kuraysh were among the noblest of the Arabs; and the Shukria are descended from 'Abd el Muttalib.

III This then is the pedigree of el Sheikh Hammad ibn Muhammad,

known as "el Kakam," — son of Hammad, son of. , .{as in tree, up to

'Abd el Muttalib).

IV Now the mother of '(3n ibn 'Abdulla el Gawad was el Sayyida Zaynab (the daughter of el Imam 'Ali . . . ) whose mother was Fatima the Glorious, the daughter of the Prophet. . . .

V The above pedigree from the mouth of one of the Shukria Arabs who knows his pedigree is in accordance with what is in the book of el Samarkandi the Great, and in that book [the author in

speaking of the generations] from Shakir to 'Abd el Muttalib men-

tions their nobility of character and bravery; and such they have ever maintained, for one of them can meet a thousand foes in war and cope with them without any assistance until they flee in disorder before him.

VI Their characters are pleasant and their conduct good both individually and in their mutual relationships; and were it not that

it would take too long I would mention them and their deeds man by man and event after event. Their influence with the rulers of the

country has been great because of their skill in aff^airs of state, and, to sum up, their virtues are many.

VII In addition they are of the family of the Prophet. . .and that is to be found in the book Nur el Absdr about the virtues of their

ancestress el Sayyida Zaynab, the daughter of the Imam 'Ali. . . , and the men of learning speak of them from ten different points of view.

God best knows the truth.

C 5 {b) (NOTES)

III. BA, XLix. IV This is incorrect: see Wiistenfeld, Y.