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Then said the Ifritah, "O Commander of the Faithful, of a truth

he who scourged this lady with rods is thy son Al-Amin brother of

Al-Maamun ;[FN#353] for he had heard of her beauty and love

liness and he played a lover's stratagem with her and married her

according to the law and committed the crime (such as it is) of

scourging her. Yet indeed he is not to be blamed for beating her,

for he laid a condition on her and swore her by a solemn oath not

to do a certain thing; however, she was false to her vow and he

was minded to put her to death, but he feared Almighty Allah and

contented himself with scourging her, as thou hast seen, and with

sending her back to her own place.