--The Hakawati explains how Tariq Al-Ashem once taught the value of patience to a Zuagir raider--
Tariq Al-Ashem, the revered Cadi once wanted to break in a camel he had just purchased. He told his wife he would be back the next morning and rode the camel into the desert. While roaming the sand, he wandered into a small oasis with a modest little well. Even though it was in the oasis the well was, as is tradition among we desert tribes, marked with white stones to make it easy to see in the day. Another man was there, drawing water from the well into an old trough to water three of his own camels. Caravan packs sat on the backs of the two larger camels. The smallest one bore only a riding saddle but on it were burned the signs of Yog which led Tariq to believe the other man was a Zuagir returning from a raid with his loot.
Tariq approached the well and removed his camel's bridle so that it could drink from the trough. The other man hit Tariq’s camel across the nose with the bucket's rope. “Insolent,” shouted the angrered Zuagir. “How dare you insult me by letting your camel drink the water I labored to draw!”
Zuagirs are not known for their hospitality so it did not surprise the Tariq the other man took offense at something so common as expecting courtesy from others. Tariq was, however, slightly offended at the Zuagir’s tone. "By Set, you are discourteous" Tariq said to the Zuagir. “My apologies if I offend you but your quick temper accomplishes nothing satisfying.”
Tariq led his camel aside and waited for the other camels to finish drinking. Once the Zuagir finished watering his camels, Tariq drew more water so his own beast might drink. When Tariq climbed back onto his camel and was about to ride away, the Zuagir said to him, “Why do you say such a thing? That temper accomplishes nothing satisfying. It is my temper that cuts down my enemies which greatly satisfies Yog.”
“Ah. Al-Zuagir,” Tariq said with a smile, “If you would know the answer you must come with me and in a fortnight I will show you what I mean.”
The man agreed to join Tariq and together they rode back to Tariq’s encampment. During their journey, the two men came to know each other. The Zuagir learned that Tariq was a Cadi, or judge, and a man of respect among the Ashem. Tariq learned that his Zuagir travelling companion was a sheik and a swordsman of no small reknown among the Zuagir.
The two men arrived at Tariq’s large tent a few hours before dawn. Tariq sat his guest in the tent’s Shiqq where men of the tribe often gather to converse and where Tariq held court. After settling his guest, Tariq went to the women's section of the tent to bring mattresses and quilts for he and his guest. In the women’s section of the tent Tariq saw a male slave lying next to his wife. Both were naked. A sheen of sweat on their bodies glistened like oil and the musk from their love making still lingered in the air. Tariq’s wife had a diaphanous blue silk shawl embroidered with an acacia tree and she would wear when laying with her husband. She wore it, too, when making love with the slave and it rested across her breasts and the slave’s chest.
Tariq lifted the shawl, being careful not to wake the sleeping couple and stuffed it inside his scimitar scabbard. He then returned to the Shiqq to fetch his guest and show the Zuagir the evidence of his wife’s infidelity.
“You should slit her throat and feed the slave’s testicles to the pigs,” said the Zuagir once they had returned to the Shiqq.
“Justifiable punishment,” Tariq agreed. “But there is no satisfaction in such quick tempered acts. Stay and you will see.”
They slept in the Shiqq and rose at dawn. Tariq knew his wife was not expecting him until later in the morning so he called out, “Wife! I have returned and have a guest!”
The wife and the slave woke, startled, and the slave had only enough time to duck beneath the covers before Tariq entered the sleeping area.
“What is that,” asked Tariq pointing to the slave hiding under the quilted sheets.
“A sheep,” said the wife. “It was cold last night and it must have crawled under the covers with me for warmth.”
“Very well,” said Tariq allowing his wife to think he believed the lie. “Make ready to move. I have found another site more suited to our needs. Get the slave and pack up the tent. You will travel with the rest of the camp. I have business to discuss with our Zuagir guest and we will join you later.” Tariq left and took the coffee pots from the Shiqq. He told the men of the camp that they were moving to another site and to make busy moving the camp.
Tariq and the Zuagir rode toward a mountain overlooking the encampment. They dismounted, started a fire and shared the coffee. It was not long before the tribe began moving toward the new site. Tariq’s wife and the slave joined the line of tribesmen snaking across the desert to the next camp. However, the slave did not secure the camel's load properly so that every now and then the load would slip and they had to stop to tie it back down. This allowed the camel to lag behind the caravan so the wife and slave could make use of one another when they thought no one was looking.
Tariq saw this and pointed it out to the Zuagir. The Zuagir took up his sword. “I’ll gut them where they stand for such betrayal of trust.!”
“Put your sword away, friend Zuagir,” said Tariq. "Be patient and you will learn the lingering satisfaction of rationality. Be tempestuous and you will know only instant gratification.”
The Zuagir grumbled but kept in check his boiling anger.
He wife and the slave arrived at the camp much later than the others and began setting up the tent. Tariq and the Zuagir arrived soon after and went to enjoy the conversation in the Shiqq where other men of the tribe had begun to gather.
For three days Tariq did not visit his wife's part of the tent. The woman began to suspect that something was wrong. She wanted to ask Tariq but wondered how she could do this while he shunned her and how to do it in front of the Zuagir without dishonoring her husband.
On the fourth day Tariq sat in the Shiqq with the Zuagir. Tariq had spent the day as Cadi listening to and settling several disputes between tribe members. Once all the disputes had been resolved the wife came to serve coffee to Tariq and the Zuagir. She decided to approach Tariq about why he shunned her and did so in a manner she believed only she and her husband might understand.
"Oh Cadi,” said the wife. “The lion does not sleep in the blue shade of the acacia tree.”
“The lion does not sleep where hyenas mate,” said Tariq
“Oh, Cadi. Do not believe the lies of crows. They gossip for the sake of hearing themselves squawk.”
“The lion does not need crows when he has his own eyes,” said Tariq. He motioned across the Shiqq to the rack where everyone was obliged to leave their blades. “Fetch my scabbard from over there and tell me what you find.”
The wife took her husband’s sword from the rack and out of the scabbard fell her silk shawl with the embroidered acacia tree on it. She then realized her husband knew of her dallying with the slave. “I have found death,” she cried and fell to her knees.
“Not by my hand,” said Tariq. “Now that you admit your guilt you will hear my judgment as Cadi. You will put on your finest silk clothes. You will paint your hands with henna and adorn your eyes with khol. In the morning you will come to the Shiqq when the men gather. Before all present you will bare yourself and beg divorce. Now go.”
After the wife hurried away, the Zuagir said with unhidden disdain, “This is not punishment.”
“Patience, friend,” said Tariq sipping his coffee. “As I am sure it is with you Zuagir, only a dire circumstance would keep a man away from the Shiqq in the morning. All of the men will be here including a cousin of my wife who wished to marry her before she married me. He happens to have a sister with hair black as night that would make a suitable replacement for my wife.”
“This is still not punishment,” mumbled the Zuagir but he held his tone out of respect for being a welcomed guest.
The next morning after all the men had gathered, Tariq’s wife suddenly appeared. This caused a stir in the Shiqq as we Ashem do not allow women there in the morning. “What is this about,” demanded several of the men.
The wife, bedecked in all her finery began undressing so all present could see in the ritual baring of her body that she was hiding nothing. “I beg a divorce,” she pleaded.
Tariq shook his head slowly and pretended reluctance to grant the divorce. “Crawl,” he said to her. “Crawl to each man here. Kiss his feet and beg forgiveness for this intrusion.” His wife did as she was told and all the while Tariq watched his wife’s cousin. The cousin’s eyes never left the wife. They lingered on her as a man’s eyes do when they lust after naked flesh and this simple humiliation only served to enflame the cousin’s desire.
Once the wife had begged forgiveness from all the men she crawled to Tariq and again asked for a divorce.
"By Set and the Magi if someone would promise me a woman to replace you, I'll let you go!"
The wife’s cousin took the opportunity and said without hesitation. "If your oath is true, divorce my cousin, give her to me and I will give you my sister for a wife!"
“So it shall be,” proclaimed Tariq.
It was a simple matter for Tariq, as Cadi, to grant the divorce. His wife asked for it and he swore an oath so no one had cause to question the decision. Tariq’s ex-wife married her cousin and Tariq married the cousin’s dark haired sister. Shortly after, Tariq offered his slave for sale. Tariq’s ex-wife heard of this and convinced her second husband to purchase the slave.
“This is not righteous punishment.” the Zuagir said to Tariq. “Your ex-wife is now married to her cousin and there is nothing you can do to her for her infidelity.”
“It is almost done, friend,” Tariq assured the Zuagir. “Tomorrow we will go hunting with my ex-wife’s cousin. Bring two days of water and before it runs out you will see the reward for patience.”
The next day the three men prepared to go out hunting. Tariq wished his new dark haired wife well and told her he would be back in two days. The cousin did the same and off the three men went. Tariq told the Zuagir to let the cousin make the kills and at the end of the first day the cousin had so much game he was forced to return to camp.
Tariq and the Zuagir returned a day later and were greeted by Tariq’s new wife. She told the two men that Tariq would need to perform his duty as Cadi. The cousin had returned a day early from hunting and murdered his new bride and the slave after finding them in bed together.
The Zuagir smirked, realizing the great satisfaction a bit of patience can bring. Tariq was now rid of his cheating wife, and the slave, both of which thought they had played Tariq for a fool. Tariq had a new, dutiful and devoted wife and not once had to dirty his hands.
“What did he do,” Tariq asked his new wife.
“In a fit of rage he slit her throat and fed the slave’s balls to the pigs before gutting him like a sheep.”