An Arab-Syrian Gentleman and Warrior in the Period of the Crusades

INTRODUCTION 15
with years and mellowed with varied experiences of adversity and
success, this patriarch of early Moslem days stands at the vantage
point of his ninetieth lunar year, to review before us his past life
as one parade of thrilling adventures and remarkable feats, with one
procession following another.
If any book is the man, Kitdb al-I'tibdr is certainly Usamah.
Shaken by years, amiably rambling in his talk and reminiscences,
our nonagenarian spins one anecdote after another, slipping into
his story bits of his philosophy of life couched in such homely and
poignant, often naive, phrases as to be remembered. More delectable
stories can be had nowhere else in Arabic literature. The
author appears as a consummate story-teller who might qualify for
a competitive prize in a modern school of journalism.
His masterpiece
is perhaps the story of the necklace found by a pilgrim in
Mecca (infra, p. 210). His rare insight into human nature, his keen
powers of observation and analysis, his
unfailing sense of humor,
coupled with his sincerity, fairness and high standard of veracity
make his book one of the great books of the Arabic language.
The author intends his book to be didactic. Hence the title
al-I'tibdr, i.e., learning by example. The favorite theme is that
the duration of the life of man is predetermined, that its end can
neither be retarded nor advanced (infra, p. 192) by anything
man might or might not do. In season and out of season he preaches
his sermon, of which he does not seem to tire.
Exposure to perils
and dangers does not affect in the least the allotted term of life on
this earth, and no one should "assume for a moment that the hour
of death is advanced by exposing one's self to danger, or retarded
by overcautiousness" (infra, p. 194). "Victory in warfare is from
Allah (blessed and exalted is he!) and is not due to organization
and planning" (infra, p. 177).
His passage from the telling of one tale to another is determined
by the association of ideas. One happening suggests to his memory
another happening because of similarity or dissimilarity, comparison
or contrast.
After seemingly exhausting a subject and starting on
another he may digress and revert to the former. Logic and
scientific classification of data were no idols to him, any more than
they were to other writers of his time. Even the most gullible
of readers may find here and there an anecdote hard to believe, or