Al  HArithy  son  of  ffammdm.-^The  use  of  this  name  and
that  of  Abft  Zayd,  by  the  author,  is  explained  by  Sherlshi,
who  is  confirmed  by  Ibn  Ehallik&n,  in  his  life  of  Hariri.  It
is  said  that  H&rith  and  Hamm&m  are  the  ''  truest/'  that  is
the  most  justly  applicable  of  names.  A  Tradition  of  Moham-
med, concerning  the  naming  of  children,  is  recorded,  in  which
it  is  said ''  The  most  acceptable  names  to  God  are  *Abd  Allah
and  *Abd-ar-Bahmftn ;  the  truest  are  Al  H&rith  and  Hamm&m,
and  the  most  hateful  Harb  and  Murrah."  (Abti  Murrah  is  a
kinyeh  for  the  devil).  The  reason  for  calling  these  names  the
'*  truest "  is  that  there  is  no  one  who  is  not  a  H&rith,  that  is,
who  does  not  labour  after  gain  for  his  Kving ;  and  no  one  who
is  not  a  Hamm&m,  that  is,  who  has  not  his  anxieties.  The  names
were  accordingly  adopted  by  Hariri  to  signify  a  common  ordi-
nary mortal,  in  accordance  with  the  precedent  set  by  Badi*  a^
Zem&n.  Under  the  name  of  Al  Hteith,  son  of  Hamm&m,  the
author  is  supposed  to  have  signified  himself,  and  for  this  reason
he  makes  H&rith  a  native  of  Basra.  The  name  Abfl  Zayd  is
either  the  real  name  of  a  personage  whom  Hariri  had  met  with,
or  it  is  taken  to  signify  an  elderly  man  generally ;  Zayd  being
an  ordinary  name,  and  the  Father  of  Zayd  the  ordinary  father  or
elder.  In  confirmation  of  this  view,  it  is  noted  that  Abfl  Zayd
is  continually  spoken  of  as  advanced  in  years.  The  use  of  these
allegorical  names  is  common  among  Arabs,  their  own  ordinary
names  having,  generally,  a  meaning.  An  instance  of  such  a  des-
criptive name  is  furnished  by  the  philosophical  romance  of  Abiii
JaVar  'ibn  Tofayl,  whose  solitary  hero  bears  the  name  of  Hayy
ibn  Tak^&n,  the  Living,  Son  of  the  Awakened.    It  may  be


NOTES.  279

remarked  that  H&rith  is  the  Qreek  Aretas :  compare  2  Corin-
thians xi.  32.
