135 
1874.] E. C. Ross— Annals of'Oman.—Book IV. 
il these things were combined in him. May God have mercy on him !” It 
may be, however, that el-Julanda-bin Mes‘ud was his equal; hut we are told 
that the Sheykh Abu-Ibrahim Mohammed-bin Sa‘id-bin Abu-Bekr said_ 
“ The Imam Sa‘id-bin ‘Abdullah was superior to Julanda-bin Mes‘ud; for 
“ he was a just and righteous Imam, excelling the people of his time in 
“learning, and he died a martyr withal. May God pardon him and 
“ compensate us and el-Islam for his loss with the highest requital, where- 
“ with He compensates a people for their Imam!” This is what I have 
found recorded of his excellence. I find the date of the affair in which he was 
killed stated to have been the year 323 A. H. [A. D. 934]. 1 have read a book 
in which it is stated that he met his death in the following manner. A woman 
of the people of el-Ghashb of el-Rostak was drying grain in the sun, when 
a sheep came and ate some of it, on seeing which the woman cast a stone 
and broke the sheep’s leg. Another woman who owned the sheep, then 
came up and began beating the first woman, who cried to her people to aid 
her. One of her friends came up and also one of the other woman’s friends, 
and each side being augmented by fresh arrivals a severe contest commenced. 
The Imam Sa‘id-bin ‘Abdullah repaired to the scene with a single 
attendant for the purpose of separating the combatants, and was killed in 
the melee. God knows the truth of this. 
The Ima'm Ra'shed-bin el-Wali'd. The next Imam was Rashid-bin- 
el-Walid, who was elected in the following manner ; There assembled toge¬ 
ther the Sheykh Abu-Mohammed ‘Abdullah-bin Mohammed-bin Abul- 
Muathir and Abu-Mes‘ud el-Na‘man-bin ‘Abdul-Hamid, and Abu-Moham¬ 
med ‘Abdullah-bin Mohammed-bin Shxkheh. And amongst those present 
at the ceremony were Abu-‘Othman Ramshaki-bin Rashid and Abu- 
Mohammed ‘Abdullah-bin Mohammed-bin Salih and Abu-Manthir-bin Abu- 
Mohammed-bin Ruh. These persons who assembled on this occasion were 
respected and distinguished in the same degree as were those who elected the 
Imam Sa’id-bin ‘Abdullah in their time. No persons of sense denied their 
excellence nor ignored their uprightness, and of their contemporaries in the 
same Faith none were comparable to them. Thus “ there are men for every 
time, as there is a word for every occasion.” People of every age desire the 
general welfare of their religion. This is proverbial. The authority was 
with those who were present and not with the absent. Those who bore 
witness could not alter, and those who did not could not demur. He who 
gave admittance could not expel, nor could the affirmer deny his word. 
Now it was known to this assembly that there was an adversity of 
sentiment amongst the members, and that mutual recrimination had place 
with regard to the affair of Musa-bin Musa, and Rasliid-bin el-Nadhr. 
Wherefore, when they had resolved to elect Rashid-bin el-Walid Imam, 
they deemed it expedient to summon a general council, to come to an 
