94 — Muhammad ibn ‘Imrān ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān al-Ansārī narrated to me. ‘Abd Allāh ibn Qusaym al-Ja‘farī narrated to us, from Mujālid, from al-Sha‘bī, who said: ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him—was passing along one of the roads of Medina when he heard a woman reciting:
[Wāfir meter]
“Once ‘Amr had departed and climbed the heights,
my soul called me to pursue delights.
I told it, ‘You are too hasty and shall not be obeyed,
even if he remains away season after season.
For if I obey you, I fear being reviled,
and disgrace that would shroud me like a veil.’”
The woman was brought before ‘Umar, and he asked, “What prevented you?” She replied, “Modesty and regard for my honor.” ‘Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—said: “Modesty leads to many different effects: whoever has modesty seeks concealment; whoever seeks concealment is cautious; and whoever is cautious is protected.” ‘Umar then wrote to her husband’s commander, who sent him home to her.