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stationed an animal there—either a mule, a horse, [or some other animal] (1)—for him to ride when he emerges. They also station someone there, either at the beginning and end of the day or at other times, to call upon him to come forth: “Our master, come forth! [Our master, come forth!]” (2) They brandish their weapons, though no one is there to fight them (3). Some of them say that they never pray at the appointed prayer times (4), fearing that he might emerge while they are praying and that the prayer would distract them from [his coming forth] and from serving him (5), while they are in
(1) “Or some other animal” is an addition in A and B.
(2) The second occurrence of “O our master, come forth!” is omitted from A and B.
(3) In his travelogue, *Tuhfat al-Nuzzār fī Gharā’ib al-Amsār wa-‘Ajā’ib al-Asfār* (*A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travel*), 1/164, al-Khayriyya edition (Cairo, 1322 AH), Ibn Battūta states the following when discussing the city of al-Hilla: “Near the main market in this city is a mosque with a silk curtain hanging over its entrance. They call it the shrine of Sāhib al-Zamān (the Master of the Age). It is their custom for one hundred armed men from the city to set out every night, bearing drawn swords. After the afternoon prayer, they go to the city’s governor and obtain from him a bridled horse or mule. They then proceed to the shrine of the Master of the Age, stand at its entrance, and say: ‘In the name of Allah, O Master of the Age! In the name of Allah, come forth! Corruption has become manifest and oppression has grown rampant. Now is the time for you to come forth,’ etc.” See also Donaldson, the work cited above, pp. 245–46.
(4) The word “prayer” is omitted from A and B.
(5) N and M read: “from serving him.”
يُقِيمُونَ هُنَاكَ دَابَّةً - إِمَّا بَغْلَةً، وَإِمَّا فَرَسًا،
[وَإِمَّا غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ]
(١)
- لِيَرْكَبَهَا إِذَا خَرَجَ، وَيُقِيمُونَ هُنَاكَ إِمَّا فِي طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ، وَإِمَّا فِي أَوْقَاتٍ أُخَرَ مَنْ يُنَادِي عَلَيْهِ بِالْخُرُوجِ يَا مَوْلَانَا اخْرُجْ
[يَا مَوْلَانَا اخْرُجْ]
(٢)
، وَيُشْهِرُونَ السِّلَاحَ، وَلَا أَحَدَ هُنَاكَ يُقَاتِلُهُمْ
(٣)
، وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ فِي أَوْقَاتِ الصَّلَاةِ
(٤)
دَائِمًا لَا يُصَلِّي خَشْيَةَ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ، وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، فَيَشْتَغِلَ بِهَا عَنْ
[خُرُوجِهِ]
، وَخِدْمَتِهِ
(٥)
، وَهُمْ فِي
(١) وَإِمَّا غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) .
(٢) عِبَارَةُ " يَا مَوْلَانَا اخْرُجِ " الثَّانِيَةُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) .
(٣) ذَكَرَ ابْنُ بَطُّوطَةَ فِي رِحْلَتِهِ " تُحْفَةِ النُّظَّارِ فِي غَرَائِبِ الْأَمْصَارِ وَعَجَائِبِ الْأَسْفَارِ " ١/١٦٤، الطَّبْعَةُ الْخَيْرِيَّةُ، الْقَاهِرَةَ ١٣٢٢، عِنْدَ كَلَامِهِ عَنْ مَدِينَةِ " الْحِلَّةِ " مَا يَلِي: " وَبِمَقْرُبَةٍ مِنَ السُّوقِ الْأَعْظَمِ بِهَذِهِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَسْجِدٌ عَلَى بَابِهِ سِتْرٌ حَرِيرٌ مَسْدُولٌ وَهُمْ يُسَمُّونَهُ مَشْهَدَ صَاحِبِ الزَّمَانِ وَمِنْ عَادَتِهِمْ أَنَّهُ يَخْرُجُ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ مِائَةُ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ عَلَيْهِمُ السِّلَاحُ وَبِأَيْدِيهِمْ سُيُوفٌ مَشْهُورَةٌ فَيَأْتُونَ أَمِيرَ الْمَدِينَةِ بَعْدَ صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ فَيَأْخُذُونَ مِنْهُ فَرَسًا مُلْجَمًا أَوْ بَغْلًا. وَيَأْتُونَ مَشْهَدَ صَاحِبِ الزَّمَانِ فَيَقِفُونَ بِالْبَابِ وَيَقُولُونَ: " بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ يَا صَاحِبَ الزَّمَانِ، بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ اخْرُجْ، قَدْ ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ، وَكَثُرَ الظُّلْمُ وَهَذَا أَوَانُ خُرُوجِكَ. إِلَخْ وَانْظُرِ donaldson الْمَرْجِعَ الْمُشَارَ إِلَيْهِ آنِفًا، pp - ٢٤٥ - ٤٦.
(٤) الصَّلَاةِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) .
(٥) ن، م: عَنْ خِدْمَتِهِ.