Anecdota Oxoniensia. Semitic series.

SAYINGS OF MAHOMET WITH REGARD TO THE COPTS. 99

"God! God commits the Copts of Egypt to your charge; for you
shall rule over them, and they shall be to you an increase of numbers,
and a body of auxiliaries in the path of God." He said also: "Take
charge of the men with curling hair, the Copts of Egypt, for truly
they are your uncles and kinsmen, and your auxiliaries against your
enemy, and your helpers in your religion." Then some one said to him:
"But how shall they help us in our religion?" To which he replied:
" They shall relieve you of the affairs of this world2, so that you may be
at leisure for religious worship."' According to the tradition handed
down from 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Asi, Mahomet said3: 'The Copts
As-Suyutf says:
bn Abd al-. akam quotes from fsa) i bn Ab Ayyb al-Y fa, who reports
God. l l i 1ck and swooned, and when he recovered, he said Take charge..
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Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam quotes from Mfisa ibn AbM Ayyfib al-Yafa't, wNho reports
the words of a man of the tribe of Al-Marbad to the effect that the Apostle of
God... fell sick and swooned, and when he recovered, he said: Take charge
of the men with curling hair. Then he swooned a second time, and when he
recovered said the same words. Again he swooned for the third time, and said
the same words. So the bystanders said: The Apostle of God commits to our
charge the men with curling hair; and when he recovered they asked him his
meaning. So he said: The Copts of Egypt are our uncles and our brothers-in-law,
and they shall be your auxiliaries against your enemy and on behalf of your
religion. Then they said: How shall they help us in our religion, 0 Apostle
of God? Then he answered: They shall relieve you of the affairs of this
world, so that you shall be at leisure for religious worship,' &c. (.tusn
al-Muhddarah, i. p. v.)
2 See note on fol. I6.
3 Abu 'l-Mahasin quotes the following among the 'sayings of the Prophet
with regard to Egypt:'
02.