115 – al-Rabīʿ ibn Thaʿlab related to me; he said: Abū Ismāʿīl the tutor narrated to us, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muslim ibn Hurmuz al-Makkī, from Abū al-ʿĀliyah al-Shāmī, who said:

ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb — may Allah be pleased with him — arrived at al-Jābiyah riding a dapple-grey camel. The sun shone on his bald head; he wore neither skullcap nor turban. His legs knocked against the two forks of the wooden saddle, for there were no stirrups. His saddle-cloth was a coarse woollen anbijānī cloak: when mounted it served as his padding, and when dismounted it became his bedding. His saddle-bag was a striped namirah or a rough shawl stuffed with palm-fibre; it was his bag while travelling and his pillow when he halted. He was wearing a shirt of coarse karābīs cloth whose collar was soiled and torn ⦗66⦘.

He said, “Summon for me the head of the village,” so they brought al-Halawmas. ʿUmar said, “Wash my shirt, stitch it up, and lend me a shirt or a garment.” A linen shirt was brought. He asked, “What is this?” They replied, “Linen.” He said, “And what is linen?” They explained it to him. He then removed his own shirt, and it was washed and patched; when it was returned, he took off their shirt and put his own back on.

Al-Halawmas said to him, “You are the king of the Arabs, and these lands are unsuitable for camels.” So a bardawn (a mule-like horse) was brought, and a quilted blanket was thrown over it without saddle or girth. He mounted it and said, “Hold it back, hold it back! I never imagined people would ride the Devil before this.” His camel was then brought, and he mounted it instead.