"Render your close relative his due, as well as the pauper and the wayfarer. Yet do not squander your money extravagantly; spendthrifts are the devil's brethren, and Shaitan has always been ungrateful toward his Lord. Yet if you have to avoid them, seeking some mercy that you may expect from your Lord, still speak a courteous word to them. Your Lord extends sustenance to anyone He wishes, and measures it out; He is Informed, Observant of His servants and their doings.
"Do not kill your children in dread of poverty; We shall provide for both them and you. Do not commit adultery. This is an evil thing, and abhorrent in the eyes of the God that formed men and women from clots of blood.
"Do not kill any soul whom God has forbidden you to, except through the due process of law. We have given his nearest relatives authority for anyone who is killed unjustly- yet let him not overdo things in killing the culprit, in as much as he has been so supported.
"Give full measure whenever you measure out anything, and weigh with honest scales; that is better and the finest way of acting.
"Do not worry over something you have no knowledge about: your hearing, eyesight, and vital organs will all be questioned concerning it.
"Do not prance saucily around the earth; you can neither tunnel through the earth nor rival the mountains in height.
"All that is deemed evil by your Lord is to be hated. Such is some of the wisdom your Lord has revealed to you.
"Do not place any other deity alongside your God lest you be tossed into Hell, blamed, rejected.
"The Seven Heavens and Earth, as well as whoever is in them, glorify Him. Nothing exists unless it hymns His praise; yet you do not understand their glorification. Still He has been lenient.
"Wrongdoers will say: 'You are following a man who is bewitched. Watch what sort of stories they make upabout you. They have strayed away from the Straight Path and are unable to find a way back. They say: 'When we are bones and mortal remains, will we be raised upin some fresh creation?
"Become stones or iron or any creation that seems important enough to fill your breasts; so they will say: 'Who will bring us back to life? Say: 'The One Who originated you in the first place.
"They will wag their heads at you and say: 'When will this come to pass? Say: 'Perhaps it is near! Someday He will call on you, and you will respond in praise of Him. You will assume you have lingered for only a little while."
Now Mohammed paused, for the weight of the words in his heart had become quite heavy. His fingers gripped the staff, their knuckles turning white with the effort. His voice rolled like thunder, for now the compassionate and the merciful one demanded recompense for the favors He had done the race of men.
Even below, in the gorge of the Siq, where men stood closely packed, shoulder to shoulder, their helmets removed, they could hear the voice ringing in the clear air. It filled the night and settled in their hearts. Each man knew that the excursion of the Sahaba into the lands of the Empire was no raid. That had been clear for weeks. A task had been set them, something mighty. Now they strained to hear of it, their blood slowly building to the race.
Among them, standing in the doorway of the graven temple at the gate of the canyon, Odenathus of Palmyra knelt, the hilt of his sword pressed to his forehead. He had spent many days in the company of the captains of the desert host; he had heard the Young Eagle, Al'Walid, speak of the power and miracles that sprang from the heart of the Quryash. He had seen the utter devotion and loyalty that the hardened mercenaries of the Tanukh afforded the chieftain.
The young man pledged himself, there in the flame-lit darkness, on the cold desert night, to the purpose of the Quryash. Where Mohammed led, Odenathus would follow. He put aside his fear and hate, even the pain of the death of his city. He would submit himself to the will of this God that spoke from the clear air. In this thing there was freedom and blessed purpose.
"The lord of the Seven Heavens tasks us: Shaitan stirs uptrouble among those who close their hearts to the voice from the clear air; Shaitan is an open enemy of man! Your Lord is quite aware of whoever is in Heaven and Earth.
"When we told the angels: 'Bow down on your knees before Adam, they all knelt down except Shaitan. He said: 'Am I to bow down on my knees before someone you have created out of clay? He said further: 'Have you considered this person yourself whom you have honored more than me? If you will postpone things until the Resurrection Day, then I shall bring all but a few of his offspring under my mastery.
"He, the Merciful and Compassionate One, said: 'Go then! Any of man that follow you will have your reward; it is so ample. Entice any of them whom you can with your voice. Set upon them with your cavalry and your manpower. Share wealth and children with them, and promise them anything. As for My servants, you will have no authority over them; your Lord suffices as a Trustee.
"Your Lord is the One who propels ships for you at sea, so you may seek some of His bounty. He has been so merciful toward you! Whenever some adversity strikes you at sea, anyone you appeal to beside Him leaves you to a dreadful fate; yet whenever We bring you safely to port, you all turn away evasively. Man has been so thankless!
"Do you feel so safe that He will not let the land cave in beneath you, or send a sandstorm down upon you? Then you will find no agent to act on your behalf! Or do you feel so secure that He will send you another chance, withholding a smashing gale that would drown you because you have disbelieved? Then you will not find anyone to helpyou against Us. We have dignified the Children of Adam and transported them across land and sea. We have provided them with wholesome things and favored them especially over many of those whom We have created.
"The day comes when We will call upon the sons of man, whom We have given such shelter. Shaitan is loose in the world. He speaks untruths and turns the unwary from the Straight Path. Men must stand against him, men who follow the Righteous Way.
"Such has been the practice with any of Our messengers whom We have sent before you. You will never find any chance in Our course!
"Keep up prayer from the decline of the sun, until full night comes; and observe the Recital of Our words at daybreak, since reciting at daybreak will be witnessed!
"When you recite, say, 'My Lord, let me enter through a proper entrance and leave by an honest exit! Grant me supporting authority from Your presence.
"Appeal to God, or appeal to the Mercy-giving: whichever name you may invoke, He still has the Finest Names. Do not shout in your prayer nor say it under your breath; seek a course in between. Praise be to God Who has adopted no son and has no partner in control. He needs no protector against pettiness. Magnify Him greatly!"
Zoe felt a chill pass over her, an invisible wind that cut through her woolen cloak and even the breastplate of iron scales she wore under her tunic. The last words trembled in the air, repeated in a susurrus of hushed voices. Full night had come, covering the sky. It was dark on the summit of the High Place, for no torch or lantern was lit. The moon threw a pale light, but tonight it seemed faint. She felt utterly alone, though she could feel the heavy warm presence of Jalal and Shadin on either side of her. They smelled of horses and oiled metal and well-worn leather and she took great comfort from them. In her heart, she could feel the Queen smiling and it warmed her like the sun.
There was a rustling sound, and Mohammed descended from the high altar. His face was weary and his step uneven. It had taken a great deal from him to let these words find shape in the air. The Tanukh closed around him, supporting his arms. A warm yellow light sprang up. Shadin had lit a small candle-lantern. In the pale light, Zoe could see Mohammed turn to her.
"O Queen," he said, his eyes sparkling in shadow, "summon the captains of the host: Odenathus your cousin, Khalid of the Al'Walid, the Lord of the Ben-Sarid, the Princes of the Decapolis. When the sun comes again, we will leave this place. Lejjun awaits, and then the coast."