Note 14 — MA’ARUF THE COBBLER AND HIS WIFE FATIMAH.
Richard Francis Burton translation · Edition 2
“Abú Tabak,” in Cairene slang, is an officer who arrests by order of the Kazi and means “Father of whipping” (= tabaka, a low word for beating, thrashing, whopping) because he does his duty with all possible violence in terrorem.