i8 THE NATIVE MANUSCRIPTS IV. ba. xv.

XV People are reliable as to their pedigrees; and whosoever has received from his father or ancestor any charge of a pedigree is indeed whatever the pedigree in his charge shows him to be.

XVI Boastful comparisons of pedigrees are blameworthy, and it is

not the part of an intelligent man to vaunt his fathers and ancestors and claim honour and respect because of the nobility of his pedigree: such a thing could only be done by a slave by virtue of his being

pious;

XVII for the Prophet. . .said "I am the ancestor of every pious man and woman, even though it be an Abyssinian slave, etc."

XVIII Boastful comparisons of pedigree and competition to amass wealth and disdain of the poor are forbidden by the law.

XIX For God Almighty said "Verily the faithful are [all] brethren; therefore reconcile your brethren," — that is both in affairs temporal and spiritual, for faith is the bond between the faithful both in the

matter of their pedigrees and of their religion; and "reconcile your brethren" means [you should do so] if two of them quarrel and fight. — "And fear God, and rebel not against Him nor disobey His

behest, that ye may be the recipients of His mercy."

XX "O ye that believe, let not men mock at other men, who are perchance better than themselves, nor let women laugh other women

to scorn, who are perchance better than themselves. Neither defame one another nor abuse one another with injurious appellations. An

ill name [it is to be charged with] wickedness, after [having embraced]

the faith: and whoso repent not, they will be the unjust doers."

XXI On the authority of 'Omar. . .it is related that the Prophet. . . said " The Muslim is brother to the Muslim : he wrongs him not, nor abuses him ; and whoso helps his brother Muslim, him will God help ; and whoso relieves a Muslim from affliction, God will thereby relieve

him of one of the afflictions of the day of resurrection."

XXII God Almighty said "O people, I have created you of male and female," — that is Adam and Eve ["Howa"] ; and the meaning is

" You are all of the same descent, so do not make boastful comparisons between one another, for all of you are the children of the same man

and woman." Others say the meaning to be " I have created each one of you in the same manner as the other, so you have no cause for

invidifjus self-glorification and boastful comparison of pedigrees."

XXIII [God also said] "And I have made you races ['shu'ub'] [and tribes]."

XXIV [The term] "shuilh" is the plural of "sha'b"... and denotes the sources of the tribes, such as Rabi'a and MupR and EL Aus and f.l Khazrag; and they were called "races" because from