iv.c6.xii. OF THE SUDAN 163

of the Prophet of God, upon whom be the blessings of God, the

chief of all women who are true believers."

VIII It is not permitted to him that trusts in God and the last day to harm a Sherif, and if he do so he is a rebel, nor to wrong him, nor to seize him, nor to repulse him, nor to strike him, [and this is] in honour of the Prophet of God, upon whom be the blessings of God,

who said " Harm me not in [harming] my family," And they are the flower of mankind, the Sayyids, the sons of Sayyids, and if one of them be ignorant or immoral he is [yet] better than any other ignorant man, and if one of them be learned he is better than any other learned man.

IX If anyone make light of or destroy their honour, or render them

odious, or speak them [evil], God will destroy that man's honour on the day of the resurrection, and destroy his kingdom if he be a king, and subvert his empire if he have an empire, and change his wealth to poverty if he have riches, and scatter whatsoever he may have collected together.

X God Almighty said " Say, I ask not of you, for this [my preach-

ing], any reward, except the love of [my] relations," meaning those who are related to the Prophet, upon whom be the blessings of God. Thus he that loves them not is disobedient to Almighty God, and he that injures them and advantages himself shall be punished; and whatever they say must be believed, by virtue of their noble descent, without enquiries as to whether they are liars. And every judge and every chief and every ruler is bound to honour them, and he that would do them evil is [hereby] warned, and every judge and chief and ruler must honour them and ennoble them, for they are Sayyids and sons of Sayyids, the best of men and sons of the best of men.

XI The Prophet, upon whom be the blessings of God, said "Woe, and again I say woe to any that oppose them: their reward shall be

[at] the day of the resurrection^. He that strikes them with his hand or injures them, I shall oppose him on the day of the resurrection^, and he is accursed." And he that curses them^, the Prophet, upon whom be the blessings of God, has ordained that he be slain for having cursed his offspring; his punishment shall be to ride upon an ass, with his face to its tail, and thereon to pass before the gate of the Sultan and the chiefs and the judges and all the people.

XII He that makes light of this pedigree, if he be a king, God will take from him his kingdom, and if he be a chief, God will take from him his chieftainship, and if he be a judge, God will cause him to leave the world without salvation.

^ reading <UU5 for 5.^5. 2 reading ^.ov**^ for ««ja).

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