Nevertheless it was a subject of great contest among the Muhammedan doctors whether such a connection be legitimate or not. The Imám Abu Hanifah and others declared it abrogated, according to the universal concurrence of the prophet’s companions, on the authority of Ebn Abbas Abdallah, who died Hej. 68 (A. D. 687). This Imám adduced the information received from Ali, who, on the day of the combat of Chaibar (A. D. 630), heard the prophet declare that such marriages are forbidden. Moreover, a strong opposer to their legitimacy was Yahia, the son of Aktam, son of Muhammed, son of Katan, a celebrated judge, who died in the year of the Hejira 242 (A. D. 856). Living during the reign of Mamun, he succeeded in persuading the Khalif to prohibit by a decree temporary marriage, which he had before permitted.—(See Abulfeda, vol. II. pp. 195-199).
[70] قبل و دبُر, antè vel retrorsum.
[71] This is a work of Mohi eddin Ibn Arabi, who died in the year of the Hejira 638 (A. D. 1240), of whom hereafter.
[72] Abu ’l Fazil, the wise minister of Akbar, is generally known by his work entitled Ayín Akbarí, “the Institutes of the Emperor Akbar,” translated from the original Persian, by Francis Gladwin, in two volumes. This work contains the best statistical account hitherto given respecting India of those times. Abu ’l Fazil was the first Muhammedan who bestowed attention upon the history and religion of the Hindus, and drew his information regarding them from their own books. It was by him, or under his eyes, that the Mahabharat was translated from Sanskrit into Persian. The tolerance and liberality of the Emperor Akbar towards all religions, and his attempt to establish a new creed, are generally ascribed to the influence of his enlightened minister, who paid it with his life: for Jehangir, Akbar’s fanatic son, hired assassins who murdered the excellent man, near Orcha, in the district of Narwar, on his return from the Dekan, during the life of Akbar, who, except his utmost indignation, had no punishment to inflict upon the heir-apparent of his empire.
[73] افتاب, aftab, signifies sun and soul.
[74] Majeddin Abu Thaher Muhammed ben Yakub is the compiler of the celebrated Arabic Dictionary, called Al kamus, already quoted, which from a work of sixty-five volumes was reduced to two. He is the author of several works besides the above-mentioned. He died in the year of the Hejira 817 (A. D. 1414).
[75] I am not acquainted with the subjects above alluded to, nor does the text appear connected.
[76] Composed by Ferid eddin Attlar.
[77] This is a work of the celebrated Abd-al rahmen Jámi; its whole title is: كتاب نفحات الانس من حضرات القدس Kitab-u-nafhát-i ’l uns-i, min hazarat-i ’l Kades, translated by Silvestre de Sacy, “les Haleines de la familiarité, provenant des personnages eminens en sainteté,” “the breathings of familiarity proceeding from personages eminent in sanctity.” Baron von Hammer rendered the title by: “Die Hauche der Menshheit,” “the Breathings of Mankind;” Nefhát being interpreted in the Dictionary, by “a breath of wind, a fragrant gate, perfume, (metaphorically for) good fame,” I prefered the version given in the text.
[78] Abdul latif Khan, son of Abdalla, prince of the Usbecks, died in the year of the Hejira 948 (A. D. 1541).