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    Arabian Knights: Volume 1
    Arabian Knights: Volume 1
    Arabian Knights: Volume 1
    Ebook91 pages52 minutes

    Arabian Knights: Volume 1

    By Aisha Bilal

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    About this ebook

    Overview:
    If you're looking for something light to read and would like to expand your horizons then this is the book for you. It's a fun and interesting collection of stories about the adventures and misadventures of ordinary, famous and infamous real-life Arabian Knights.

    In this volume you can read about the following:

    Story #1: Antarah bin Shaddad, a man brought up in his father's household as a slave, seizes the opportunity to try and win his freedom.

    Story #2: Hatim Al-Taaee promises to feed his neighbor's children even though he has nothing to feed his own, gives away a fortune and is humbled by the generosity of an orphaned bedouin youth.

    Story #3: Owes bin Haritha is given a costly gift which causes his jealous peers to hire a poet to publicly ridicule him. When the overzealous poet insults Owes' mother, Owes swears vengeance on the man and angrily pursues him.

    Story #4: Al-Numan bin Al-Munthir, the king of Al-Heira, loses his way one dark night and is taken in by a friendly bedouin couple. Later, the king finds himself in the uncomfortable position of sentencing his kind host to death.

    Story #5: Abd Al-Muttalib bin Hisham, a Qurashi elder swears to sacrifice one of his sons to god in return for being blessed with ten healthy, strong adult sons. Years later, surrounded by his ten adult sons, Abd Al-Muttalib is haunted by his oath. If he does not sacrifice one of his sons, might god take away all ten of them?

    Story #6: Ghaelan bin Salamah bravely volunteers to go speak with Kisra, the king of the Persians, on whose lands he and his fellow merchants have inadvertently trespassed. Will his smooth words pave the way to great profits, or an early grave?

    Story #7: Abu Sufyan is interrogated by the Roman Emperor Heraclius who is trying to determine the veracity of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

    Story #8: Hajib bin Zurarah grows weary of the terrible drought afflicting his tribe's lands so he proposes the idea of traveling to the borders of the Persian kingdom and temporarily settling there. The journey is long and arduous and, once they arrive there, they may be turned away by the formidable king of the Persians, Kisra.

    Story #9: Abu Al-Qassim Al-Tanbouri keeps his old madas (leather sandals) and replaces the worn out parts rather than buying a new pair of madas. Then, through a series of unfortunate events, Al-Tanbouri's madas cause him to go to jail, repeatedly.

    Story #10: A knight, a housewife and a bedouin man use their agile wits to make sure things go their way. The knight uses his quick wits in a duel, the housewife saves her husband from a foolish oath he made in anger, and the bedouin man uses his charm and wits to unevenly portion out the food his hosts provide.

    Included in this ebook is a map illustrating the locations of the cities and areas mentioned in the stories.

    Also by Aisha Bilal:

    1. Arabian Knights - Volume 2: In this second volume you can read about hidden tombs and lost wells, brave knights and cowardly murderers, an endangered crown prince and a man looking for his soul mate.

    2. Muslim Knights - Volume 1: The first installment of this new series introduces you to historical Islamic figures such as Salman Al-Farisi, the first Persian Muslim; Bilal bin Ribah, the first man to do the Muslim call to prayer; Ibn Al-Maghazilee, a talented comedian who ran afoul of a Calipha; Eyas bin Mu'awiya, a famously clever and honest judge; Nuaiman bin Amr Al-Ansari, an irrepressible trickster; and Suhaib bin Sinan, the first Roman Muslim.

    Coming Soon in 2013:
    1. Muslim Knights - Volume 2
    2. Islamic and Arabian Quotes and Proverbs - Volume 1

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAisha Bilal
    Release dateFeb 4, 2013
    ISBN9781301134236
    Arabian Knights: Volume 1
    Author

    Aisha Bilal

    Aisha Bilal is a confirmed bookworm who grew up reading all the Arabic and English books she could find. As she read about King Arthur and his Knights, she realized that most of the people who enjoyed reading those stories would probably never read about the real-life Arabian Knights. So began her pet project: to share the stories of the many Knights of Arabia with a whole new audience.Although there will be no flying carpets, there will be lots of great stories in the Knights of Arabia books. So come explore a wonderful ancient culture rich in adventure and romance.Currently, Aisha Bilal lives in Mecca, Saudi Arabia where she spends her free time reading, writing and trying to sketch her cat. She plans to write and illustrate a children's book and hopes to have it ready for publishing soon.

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      Book preview

      Arabian Knights - Aisha Bilal

      Arabian Knights

      Volume 1

      (Knights of Arabia Series)

      By Aisha Bilal

      Copyrights

      Copyright 2011, 2012 Aisha Bilal.

      All Rights Reserved.

      Smashwords Edition 2013.

      Thank you for downloading this gratis ebook. Although this is a gratis book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

      Cover design and map by Abdiah Bougary: http://www.abdiahbougary.com

      Dedications

      For my Father, who taught me Philosophy and Theology.

      For my Mother, who taught me Literature and Music.

      For Sulaiman, a smart and funny Arabian Knight.

      For Zahra, a fiery and bright Arabian Lady.

      For Maya, an Arabian Princess with attitude.

      For Bary, an Arabian Sheikh with style.

      Table of Contents:

      Copyrights

      Dedications

      Maps

      Chapter 1: Antarah bin Shaddad Al-Abssee - Slavery and Bravery

      Chapter 2: Hatim Al-Taaee - Legendary Generosity

      Chapter 3: Owes bin Haritha - Gifts and Insults

      Chapter 4: Al-Numan bin Al-Munthir - A Lost King

      Chapter 5: Abd Al-Muttalib bin Hashim - Sons and Sacrifices

      Chapter 6: Ghaelan bin Salamah - Diplomacy and Flattery

      Chapter 7: Abu Sufyan and Heraclius - Questions and Predictions

      Chapter 8: Hajib bin Zura’rah - Hajib’s Bow

      Chapter 9: Abu Al-Qassim Al-Tanbouri - Madas and Mistakes

      Chapter 10: Three Nimble Minds - The Power of Words

      Sources

      Author’s Note

      Glossary of People

      Glossary of Places

      Glossary of Terms

      About the Author

      Other Books by Aisha Bilal

      Cover Preview: Arabian Knights - Volume 2

      Maps

      Figure 1: The Middle East (Locations Mentioned)

      Chapter 1: Antarah bin Shaddad Al-Absee - Slavery and Bravery

      Kaan Ya Makaan, Fee Qadeem Al-Zamaan…

      There was a Place, in Times of Old…

      Where a healthy baby boy was born to a midnight-skinned slave woman named Zabeebah, and a sun-darkened Bedouin man named Shaddad Al-Absee. At the time, there was no hard and fast rule as to the status of a child born to a slave woman, so the boy’s father simply didn’t acknowledge the baby as his own. As a result, the newborn, Antarah, and his mother remained in his father's household as slaves.

      As the years passed, Antarah watched with envy as his half-brothers grew in both wealth and importance while he remained a lowly slave, performing menial tasks and watching over his father's cattle. Then one day, a neighboring tribe raided Antarah’s people and a desperate battle ensued.

      As the fighting raged on, Antarah stood impassively by and watched while his father and half-brothers desperately fought to protect their cattle and possessions from the raiders. Why, Antarah thought bitterly, should I fight to protect men who care nothing for me, and defend possessions that will never be mine?

      Before long, Antarah's stillness caught his father’s eye. Shaddad called angrily to his unacknowledged son, Fight, Antarah!

      Antarah gave his father a cool look and replied serenely, A slave does not fight well. He is only good for herding and serving.

      Infuriated by his son’s pat reply, Shaddad barked, Fight, Antarah!!

      Antarah, thoroughly unmoved by his father’s commands, replied in a calm voice, A slave does not fight well. He is only good for herding and serving.

      Fearing the raiders would win the battle and ruthlessly loot his tribe and enslave its people, Antarah's father made a quick decision and called out, "Kur wa anta hur (Fight and you're free)!"

      With a grim smile, Antarah indicated his acceptance of his father’s terms by leaping suddenly into action. He bolted forward, swooped down and snatched up a sword from a fallen warrior. Like an energetic reaper briskly leveling a field of wheat, Antarah gracefully swung the sword around himself in great gleaming arcs, easily cutting down any raiders who came within range.

      Antarah’s phenomenal strength and deadly skill quickly turned the tides of battle. The raiders all retreated fearfully from the grim young warrior with the blazing eyes who so easily slew anyone who dared face him. Meanwhile, the defenders redoubled their efforts sensing that victory was at hand now that Antarah had joined the fray. After trading a few wide-eyed looks, the raiders decided they had had enough and they all turned tail and fled, leaving the Absee tribe proud and victorious and still in possession of their cattle.

      That night, the members of the Absee tribe gathered to celebrate their victory over the raiders. During the boisterous festivities, Shaddad proudly claimed the hero of the hour, Antarah, as his son. He also declared Antarah to be a free man from that day forward.

      Little did Shaddad know that his newly recognized son, Antarah, would bring great fame and fortune to the Absee tribe. Over the course of his life, Antarah became a renowned warrior and a celebrated poet. And the story of Antarah's undying love for his beautiful cousin, Abla, became one of the most famous romance stories

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